Signal Data centre operators expecting onsite generation for primary power rise from 13 to 38 percent

Summary

A rapidly growing share of data centre operators plan to produce their own primary power on site. CB Insights cites a survey showing that 38 percent of operators expect onsite generation to be their main power source by 2030. That compares with only 13 percent in 2024. Big technology firms and AI labs are already announcing projects to do this, including natural gas turbines, solid oxide fuel cells, solar farms and co-location next to a nuclear plant. The move reflects grid constraints that make it hard to secure enough electricity from utilities quickly. It also means data centres are becoming power producers in their own right.