Jacksonville power provider scales mobile turbine capacity amid AI-driven data center boom (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Jacksonville-based APR Energy is scaling up its fast-track power business as surging data center demand continues to collide with long grid timelines.
The mobile power provider said Jan. 15 that it has expanded its gas turbine fleet by acquiring eight additional turbines, increasing its owned generation capacity from about 850 megawatts to more than 1.1 gigawatts. The move comes as data center developers and utilities increasingly seek near-term power solutions while waiting years for permanent grid infrastructure to come online.
The expansion follows a period of heightened activity for APR Energy, which recently secured a $300 million revolving credit facility to support fleet growth, maintenance and rapid deployment. Together, the financing and fleet additions underscore how quickly the Jacksonville-based company is positioning itself to meet demand from hyperscale data centers, including artificial-intelligence-driven projects.
“The demand we are seeing is immediate and substantial,” said Chuck Ferry, executive chairman and CEO of APR Energy. “Data centers and utilities need dependable power now. Expanding our capacity allows us to meet that demand with speed, certainty, and proven execution.”
Across the U.S. and other major markets, new grid capacity can take years to develop, creating a widening gap between power needs and availability. APR Energy said it is seeing strong inbound demand from customers that require large-scale, reliable power on timelines measured in months rather than years.
APR’s mobile gas turbines can be deployed and operational within 30 to 90 days, allowing developers to advance project schedules and maintain reliability while longer-term infrastructure is built. The company supplies full balance-of-plant equipment and delivers complete power generation for mission-critical customers, including data center operators that cannot afford delays tied to traditional grid interconnection timelines.
The fleet expansion, the company has previously told the Business Journal, reflects a structural shift in energy demand driven by data centers and AI workloads, alongside persistent bottlenecks in transmission and interconnection.
APR Energy addresses those challenges by delivering behind-the-meter bridging and permanent power, allowing facilities to come online independently of grid connection timing. The newly added turbines increase the company’s ability to respond as developers push forward despite infrastructure constraints.
APR Energy operates globally but remains anchored in Northeast Florida. The company is backed by Fortress Investment Group, a relationship the company has said supports long-term execution in a fast-moving market.
As data center development accelerates and grid expansion lags, APR Energy is positioning itself as a bridge between immediate power needs and long-term solutions — with capital and equipment in place to scale quickly as demand continues to rise.