The immense pressure on energy sources resulting from the artificial intelligence boom has pushed Anthropic, historically known for preferring to lease rather than own computing infrastructure, to allocate $3.4 billion to purchase natural gas turbines capable of generating up to 1.7 gigawatts of electricity.
Deal Details and Strategic Shift
The deal relies on purchasing generators from Caterpillar that the equipment supplier OnePWR had previously ordered. Instead of completing the transaction through the supplier, which was struggling to secure financing, Anthropic went directly to the manufacturer to ensure the acquisition of this generation capacity and secure its needs, preventing the equipment from going to any competitor in the market.
Historically, Anthropic has favored leasing contracts, as its initial public offering documents from last May revealed a $1.25 billion monthly agreement until May 2029 to use computing capacity belonging to xAI, owned by Elon Musk, with expectations of entering into more similar service contracts.
Why Does This News Matter?
This shift reflects the severity of the energy supply crisis for AI data centers, as waiting lists for natural gas turbines and electrical grid connections extend into the early 2030s. This phenomenon is not limited to Anthropic alone; it joins major companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, which are turning to build their own gas power plants for their data centers.
What Changes Practically and Potential Impacts
This increasing demand from tech companies is reviving the hydraulic fracturing sector for gas extraction. With projections that U.S. data center gas consumption will exceed that of Germany and Japan combined by 2035, major tech companies face the risks of sharp price volatility in energy markets, which could expose the companies to unexpected financial impacts in the future.