ABB owns the supply in the transformer and switchgear shortage that is delaying 50% of 2026 US data centers, and its record Q1 order intake leaves the thesis intact. Equipment prices are up 77-95% since 2019, and management guided to a confident 2026 with customers planning ahead. Kepler raised its price target to CHF 80 even while downgrading on valuation. x.com 

AI's ceiling is power equipment with multi-year lead times, not the next GPU, which favors transformer and switchgear suppliers such as GE Vernova, Eaton, Hubbell and Quanta Services. In Q1 2026 alone, 198GW of new large-load interconnection requests were filed, nearly all data centers, while big projects wait about 55 months to connect and high-voltage transformers are quoted 3-5 years out. As with 1999's fiber, switchgear and transformers will be used for 20 years whoever goes broke. x.com  … Show more

Ideal Power fits SemiAnalysis's 800VDC data center thesis: its patented B-TRAN bidirectional switch powers solid-state circuit breakers, the protection technology SemiAnalysis calls critical because DC arcs do not self-extinguish. With its Q1 2026 results, it reported signing an LOI to co-develop a B-TRAN-enabled breaker prototype for a US hyperscaler. At a $135m market cap, the upside is asymmetric if the company executes. x.com 

Hubbell sells both the utility-side and data-center-side gear for an AI power buildout bottlenecked by transformer and switchgear shortages, a setup retail isn't pricing in. Half of US 2026 data centers are delayed on those shortages, equipment prices are up 77-95% since 2019, and US peak load is forecast to grow 166 GW in five years. A 2.4 PEG leaves no room for a guidance cut, the stock sits below its 50-day average, and lumpy utility capex could push orders out. x.com  x.com  x.com  x.com  x.com  … Show more

HVDC and 800V DC power delivery is the theme to focus on now, with STMicroelectronics, Navitas, Hyliion and Ideal Power as the preferred bets. Across the AI buildout, power and optics keep gaining narrative strength and attention, while packaging remains critical but is increasingly well understood by the market. x.com  x.com 

American Superconductor, Cleveland-Cliffs and Preformed Line Products are critical US infrastructure compounders, not parabolic growers, backed by Defense Production Act support for domestic grid manufacturing. The action declared a national energy emergency over the grid supply chain, authorizing federal funding, purchase commitments and faster expansion. Hammond Power Solutions shows the demand: revenue of C$264M beat C$236.3M estimates and backlog rose 94.6%, a leading indicator. x.com 

Powell Industries is the source-agnostic way to play AI power demand, because its custom heavy-duty switchgear is needed whatever generates the power and protects multi-million-dollar clusters from power surges. Per Bloomberg, AI-chip electricity demand could jump more than 1,100% by 2033, with the US taking 64%. Powell's $2.4B backlog, with visibility into 2028, shows data-center operators locking in gear early to avoid grid delays. x.com  x.com 

Ideal Power's gap between almost no revenue and a ~$100M valuation is the opportunity, if it turns a test project into repeat orders. Its bidirectional switch replaces two one-way parts and wastes about a quarter of the energy in always-on jobs like breakers, which AI data centers and grids moving to 800V need by the millions. Its pipeline rose from $200M to $300M in a quarter, a big breaker maker signed a multiyear deal, and a hyperscaler will test it in Nvidia's 800V racks. No orders yet. … Show more

Eaton gains a big tailwind as the White House declared grid infrastructure, including transformers, transmission lines, substations and high-voltage circuit breakers, essential to national defense, as @APompliano highlighted. Companies working to electrify America stand to benefit. x.com 

nVent Electric is a best-of-breed electrical contractor with a $2.6 billion backlog and new contracts with Nvidia, data centers, hyperscalers and utilities. Its chart shows a fresh high-tight-base breakout on volume. x.com