CommoditiesMedium23 March 2026
1 min read

AEP and SoftBank Partner with US DOE for 10 GW Data Center Power Project

Key Facts

1AEP and SoftBank signed a deal with the US DOE to provide 10 GW of power for data centers.
2The generation capacity will be mostly gas-based, located at a site in Pike County, Ohio.
3The project will rise at the site of a former US DOE gaseous diffusion plant.

American Electric Power (AEP) and SoftBank have signed a landmark agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to supply 10 gigawatts of power to support data center development. The project will be located at a former DOE gaseous diffusion plant site in Pike County, Ohio. This massive generation capacity will primarily rely on natural gas to meet the surging energy demands of the data center industry. The initiative highlights the critical role of brownfield industrial sites in hosting large-scale energy infrastructure for the technology sector. While the project underscores the long-term growth of the utility sector, it also signals a significant boost for natural gas demand in the region. Investors are closely monitoring the impact on AEP's stock and the broader utilities sector as infrastructure needs for AI and cloud computing escalate.