Elon Musk warns that artificial intelligence requires more power than the U.S. power grid can provide, highlighting a growing constraint on the technology's expansion. Musk built his own natural gas-fueled power plant in Mississippi to support his Colossus I and II data centers, and is also exploring solar power. The warning underscores opportunities for companies providing off-grid power solutions, such as Bloom Energy, which entered 2026 with a $6 billion fuel cell backlog up 140% year over year, and Caterpillar, whose backlog grew 92% to $72 billion, partly driven by power generators and earth-moving equipment for data centers. Longer-term plays include NuScale Power, which has an approved small modular reactor design but is still seeking its first sale, and Brookfield Renewable Partners, which offers a 4.6% dividend yield and has deals with Microsoft and Google to supply clean energy.
