Elon Musk has outlined plans for SpaceX to build an AI supercomputing center, aiming to pair it with up to 20 gigawatts of power supply, cooling systems, and electrical infrastructure by the end of next year. The 20-gigawatt target is an enormous amount of electricity, representing nearly half of the 53 gigawatts of new generating capacity expected to be added to the U.S. power grid in 2025. Such a huge demand for electricity will once again benefit a range of industrial companies.

As the wave of artificial intelligence construction continues to intensify, demand for power supporting equipment and infrastructure, such as gas turbines and HVAC systems, remains high, and related suppliers will continue to benefit. James West, managing director of Melius Research, said in a recent research note to clients: "The power-related statements from SpaceX have caught our attention, and this is a clear positive for equipment suppliers."

According to data from SpaceX's prospectus, the AI business is expected to account for over 90% of the company's total addressable market, representing a space of about $26.5 trillion. Building AI supercomputing clusters has become a core development focus for SpaceX. During its first earnings call since listing on the U.S. stock market, Musk stated that the company currently has the potential to deploy 2 gigawatts of computing power, and plans to bring up to 10 gigawatts online by the end of next year.

However, Musk noted that this does not mean SpaceX will only build infrastructure to support 10 gigawatts of computing power. He told analysts on Tuesday: "In reality, the scale of power supply, cooling, and electrical supporting facilities we aim to bring online will be much higher than the electricity consumption corresponding to this computing power." The company's tentative goal is to complete a total of 20 gigawatts of power supply and cooling supporting facilities by the end of next year.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The NROL-95 mission was the seventh flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which successfully returned and landed at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral. Musk also acknowledged that even if the full target is not met, the company's "power plant-level" power supply scale is expected to reach around 15 gigawatts by the end of 2027.

Musk's comments highlight the massive energy demand embedded in the new generation of AI infrastructure. Driven by this logic, the industrial sector has risen 20% since the start of this year, and its gains have exceeded 80% over the past five years. West believes that the companies capable of capturing this wave of demand are mostly those already seeing continued surges in orders for core equipment. The list of beneficiaries includes gas and power equipment manufacturers like General Electric Vernova (GEV) and Baker Hughes (BKR), whose products cover gas turbines, compressors, and electric motors. It also includes power operators such as Constellation Energy (CEG), NextEra Energy (NEE), Vistra Energy (VST), and EQT Energy (EQT), the largest natural gas supplier in the U.S.

Corporate earnings reports are already reflecting strong growth in demand for specialized equipment and related services. General Electric Vernova reported its second-quarter results on July 22, with its order backlog surging 36% to $176 billion. The power business segment saw orders soar 134% year-over-year, primarily driven by strong demand for gas power generation equipment and related services. Baker Hughes disclosed its second-quarter data on July 26, with orders in its industrial and energy technology segment doubling year-over-year to exceed $7 billion.