GE Vernova Speeds Gas Turbine Output as AI Data Center Orders Fill Through 2029
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 27
GE Vernova Speeds Gas Turbine Output as AI Data Center Orders Fill Through 2029
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 27
Summary
GE Vernova is ramping production at its Greenville, South Carolina, turbine plant, adding 300 workers this year after hiring 200 in 2025 as AI-driven demand outstrips supply.
20% of the company's gas-power order book now goes to AI-style data center projects, with hyperscalers including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle seeking firm power amid grid bottlenecks.
Microsoft alone bought seven turbines for a 2.7-gigawatt Texas data center, while GE Vernova units already power xAI's Colossus 1 in Tennessee and nearly 1 gigawatt more is headed to OpenAI's Stargate project.
Orders are booked through 2029 and extending into 2030 and 2031, helping lift turbine prices more than 300% in three years to over $250 million each.
The surge is boosting GE Vernova shares—up nearly 60% in six months—even as environmental concerns and local resistance to data centers threaten the pace of AI infrastructure buildout.
With AI's growth now limited by energy, is the next big race for better algorithms or for new power sources?
AI's energy crisis is fueling a gas boom. Is this a bridge to clean energy or a long-term fossil fuel trap?
As tech giants build private power grids, is the era of the public utility nearing its end?
Surging AI and Data Center Demand Fuels 100 GW Gas Turbine Backlog and Reshapes Global Power Markets
Overview
The global energy landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, fueled by the rapid growth of AI infrastructure and data centers. This surge is creating an unprecedented demand for electricity, turning data centers into major power consumers and even power plants themselves. To meet these immediate and substantial energy needs, gas turbines have become a critical solution. In the U.S., the expansion of data centers and industrial electrification is driving the need for modern, resilient grid infrastructure and increased power generation capacity. As a result, companies like GE Vernova are emerging as key providers, positioned at the center of this accelerating power surge.