AI Data Center Energy Demand Drives Record Mitsubishi Gas Turbine Orders

Surging electricity demand from U.S. AI data centers has propelled global gas turbine orders to record highs, stretching order backlogs for major manufacturers like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries out to 2029–2030. Global gas turbine demand is expected to exceed 100 gigawatts annually through 2027. The AI boom is creating massive energy bottlenecks, forcing tech companies and utilities to rely heavily on natural gas power as rapid grid expansions and renewable energy struggle to keep pace. This surge has turned thermal power equipment into a high-growth market, driving up turbine contract prices by around 20% year-over-year. To cope with unprecedented backlogs, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plans to invest over 100 billion yen ($635 million) in Japan and the U.S. to double its large gas turbine capacity by fiscal 2030. However, data center expansion faces growing local public resistance and political scrutiny over power grid strains across several U.S. states.