The purchase is intended to secure electricity for Anthropic's expanding artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure without waiting for connections to public power grids, where mounting demand from data centers has led to lengthy delays [1][2]. The agreement, inked in late September, involved commitments for 1.7 gigawatts of heavy-duty gas generators from OnePWR [3].

Anthropic did not acquire OnePWR itself, and no employees were transferred under the agreement, according to the reports. The AI company has not publicly confirmed the transaction [3][4]. FT has described the deal as the largest known single purchase of power-generation equipment by a frontier AI lab [5][6].

Deal Details and Purpose

The agreement includes engineering and construction services needed to install the equipment [3][7]. The generator deal is aimed at giving Anthropic greater control over its data center portfolio [5]. The company is also planning to go public this year, with an expected valuation of $1.404 trillion [8].

The generators involved are Caterpillar units that OnePWR had originally ordered, according to the FT report [9]. Historically, Anthropic has preferred to rent rather than buy physical infrastructure, making the direct purchase notable [9].

Broader Industry Shift Toward Independent Power

Anthropic is not alone in pursuing off-grid power strategies. Developers are seeking their own power supplies to avoid grid connection delays and competition for electricity, a strategy that cuts out intermediaries in the race for scarce power equipment [10].

Anthropic has also entered into numerous compute deals with other companies, including a $45 billion agreement with Nscale, a British AI infrastructure company, and a deal with Meta for up to $10 billion in computing power [11][12].

Public Opposition and Political Backlash

The news of Anthropic's deal with OnePWR comes amid opposition to data centers, with public frustration translating to the midterm elections. Democratic candidates campaigning for tighter restrictions on AI infrastructure won several key gubernatorial races, including in Texas and Ohio [3].

According to RT, voters in many areas also backed measures that curbed the development of data centers, in what the outlet described as a "growing resistance to the industry's rapid expansion" [3]. RT added that the backlash has put extra pressure on tech giants to demonstrate that their expansion won't burden local communities [3].