Anthropic은 OnePWR Solutions로부터 1.7GW 규모의 가스 발전기를 확보하기 위해 34억 달러를 약정했으며, 기존 Caterpillar 주문을 인수해 6년에 달하는 장비 대기 목록을 건너뛰기로 했다.

Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, has agreed to spend $3.4 billion to secure 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of gas-fired generators for its AI data centres. The deal takes over equipment orders originally placed with Caterpillar by Texas-based supplier OnePWR Solutions. According to Reuters, the agreement was reached in late September and also covers the engineering and construction work needed to install the equipment. Anthropic is not buying OnePWR itself. Instead, it is taking over the supplier's existing generator commitments, which were placed roughly two years ago but required additional financing.

By taking over the existing orders, Anthropic avoids starting from scratch and waiting for Caterpillar to fit another large order into its production schedule. That timing matters because orders for large gas turbines and generators are piling up, and manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand, especially from AI companies.

Global turbine orders have reportedly exceeded 100GW, while manufacturing capacity is estimated at 60GW to 70GW. Average delivery times in the U.S. have reached six years, and some prospective orders extend into 2030 or 2031.

The purchase puts Anthropic in familiar territory. xAI, Elon Musk's AI company, has already turned to gas-powered generation to bring its large computing facilities online without waiting for conventional grid connections. Recently, xAI installed eight converted General Electric jet turbines at a data center in Mississippi. Each unit can generate up to 50MW, giving the installation a potential combined output of 400MW. The deployment has also attracted environmental scrutiny, with the Southern Environmental Law Center challenging the site's emissions permits.

Environmental concerns about gas-fired generators have also drawn criticism. "This is pretty grim—these kinds of generators are terrible for the environment," said Shakeel Hashim, founder of ReadTransformer, in a tweet commenting on Anthropic's purchase. His reaction points to an issue Anthropic will have to contend with as it expands its power infrastructure: securing electricity quickly does not remove the environmental costs of generating it.

Musk's companies have also moved further into the equipment business. In August, it emerged that xAI was bringing turbine-blade and vane manufacturing in-house, with Musk identifying component production as a major constraint on generator deliveries. Some turbine blades reportedly take between 60 and 90 weeks to manufacture. Earlier, in July, SpaceX acquired APR Energy, a company with a fleet of trailer-mounted gas and diesel generators capable of producing more than 1GW.

The approach is not exclusive to Musk's businesses. OpenAI has followed a similar route for its first Stargate data center in Abilene, Texas. In July, the outlet previously reported that Crusoe, the company developing the facility, had acquired 29 GE Vernova LM2500XPRESS gas turbines, each rated at 34MW. Together, the 29 turbines could generate up to 986MW. Anthropic is taking a different path by stepping into OnePWR's existing Caterpillar orders, securing generators that were already in use rather than buying new equipment.

The power shortage is also forcing AI companies to look beyond new generator orders. Demand for used and refurbished turbines has surged, including retired jet engines converted to generate electricity. These alternatives have limitations, however, including maintenance requirements, remaining service life and suitability for continuous operation. For Anthropic, taking over OnePWR's Caterpillar orders could provide a way around some of those hurdles. The agreement also includes installation capabilities, meaning the company is securing more than the generators themselves.