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According to Sean Hughes, business development manager at Wärtsilä Energy, developers are increasingly turning to onsite generation systems that can be deployed independently of utility interconnection timelines
In sum – what to know:
Grid constraints – Wärtsilä said grid interconnection delays are accelerating demand for behind-the-meter and off-grid power solutions in the U.S. data center market.
AI demand growth – The company said hyperscale and AI-focused developers increasingly require flexible onsite generation to support high-density AI infrastructure deployments.
Long-term shift – Wärtsilä expects flexible power generation to evolve from a temporary solution into a core component of future AI data center design.
Rising AI infrastructure demand and ongoing grid interconnection delays are accelerating interest in behind-the-meter and off-grid power generation across the U.S. data center market, Sean Hughes, business development manager at Wärtsilä Energy, told RCRTech.
As hyperscale operators and AI-focused developers expand capacity requirements, access to reliable electricity is becoming a growing constraint in several U.S. markets. The issue is particularly relevant for AI workloads, which require significantly higher power density and faster deployment timelines than traditional data center infrastructure.
“I see off grid and behind the meter power becoming a permanent part of how large U.S. data centers are designed and delivered,” Hughes said. “Grid interconnection delays are a reality, and AI driven workloads are significantly increasing both power density and urgency.”
According to Hughes, developers are increasingly turning to onsite generation systems that can be deployed independently of utility interconnection timelines. He said modular engine-based systems are gaining traction because they allow operators to expand power capacity incrementally as infrastructure requirements grow.
“Behind the meter generation allows data centers to move forward without waiting years for grid access, while still meeting stringent requirements for uptime, efficiency, and performance in demanding environments,” Hughes said.
Hughes also said demand is strongest among hyperscale and AI-focused developers building large-scale digital infrastructure projects in regions where grid availability remains constrained or uncertain.
“These customers are building at a scale where access to reliable power is critical, which is why flexible, on site generation has become so important,” Hughes said.
Over the next three to five years, Hughes expects the market for flexible onsite generation to expand beyond hyperscale operators into additional enterprise and infrastructure segments facing similar power and deployment challenges.
“Flexible power is increasingly viewed not as a stopgap, but as a foundational element of resilient, future ready data center design,” Hughes said.
