AI company Anthropic signed a $3.4 billion (about RMB 22.749 billion) order for gas-fired generating units with a total capacity of 1.7GW in late September, the Financial Times reported on Nov 8. It is the largest power-equipment purchase by an AI company on record, showing that tech firms are pushing further into the energy sector to secure electricity supply.
Deal structure: taking over a pre-price-rise order
Anthropic took over the heavy generating-unit order from OnePWR Solutions, an equipment supplier based in San Antonio, Texas, according to the report. People familiar with the matter said OnePWR had ordered the units from Caterpillar two years earlier but still needed financing to complete the purchase.
Anthropic initially planned to buy services from OnePWR, then changed course and took over the equipment order OnePWR had placed with Caterpillar. Rather than acquiring an energy company or simply buying equipment, it chose to take over an order signed years ago, before prices rose. Some generating units can be delivered soon, with the rest due within the next two years.
Industry backdrop: power becomes AI's new bottleneck
AI companies have typically relied on utilities and specialist power firms for electricity. As demand for gas turbines and generating units surges, delivery times have stretched to several years, and cash-rich AI companies are bypassing intermediaries to control generating capacity directly.
Anthropic is not the only tech company to act. Earlier this year, SpaceX's xAI spent $2 billion (about RMB 13.382 billion) on mobile gas turbines, while Google parent Alphabet acquired energy developer Intersect in late 2025. The report said direct purchases of generating equipment also helped SpaceX quickly bring large data centres into operation.
| Company | Move | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | Took over OnePWR gas generating-unit order (1.7GW) | $3.4 billion |
| xAI (SpaceX) | Bought mobile gas turbines | $2 billion |
| Alphabet | Acquired energy developer Intersect | Undisclosed |
What's next: computing rental costs climb in tandem
Anthropic is also a major SpaceX customer. By the end of this year, Anthropic is expected to pay SpaceX $3.1 billion (about RMB 20.742 billion) a month for computing capacity rentals.
The $3.4 billion generating-equipment purchase, alongside $3.1 billion in monthly computing rental costs, shows Anthropic is stepping up investment across its computing infrastructure.
As generating-equipment supply tightens, whether the trend of AI companies bypassing intermediaries to buy directly will accelerate, and whether equipment deliveries can keep pace with computing expansion, will be closely watched.