American Electric Power Co.
Utilities · Electric Utilities
Structural: AEP has the largest disclosed datacenter load pipeline of any US utility - ~20+ GW of large-load commercial requests in active queue across Ohio (AEP Ohio), Indiana (I&M) and Texas (AEP Texas), with hyperscaler campuses in Columbus, New Albany and Abilene already energized.
Rate-base growth guided ~8-9%/yr through 2029 on a $54B+ capex plan, heavily tilted to transmission build-out for AI load.
- Datacenter MW backlog converts to rate base 1:1 once interconnect signed - AI capex flows directly into earned equity returns
- 765kV transmission monopoly in PJM gives AEP the only at-scale path to wheel power into NoVA / Ohio campuses
- Ohio HB 15 and Indiana minimum-bill rules de-risk the "what if the hyperscaler walks" tail
- Regulated EPS growth (6-8%) + 3.5% yield = bond-proxy total return without rate sensitivity if AI-load narrative holds
- $AEP, $D, $EXC, $VST, $CEG all trade on the same theme; AEP is the cheapest pure-utility expression
- Datacenter MW requests are NOT contracted load - hyperscalers routinely shop multiple utilities then drop
- $54B capex requires sustained equity issuance; share count drift dilutes per-share EPS growth
- PUCO (Ohio) and Virginia SCC rate cases are gating items - adverse ROE rulings clip the entire thesis
- Long-duration regulated utility - 10y yields >5% compress relative multiple vs unregulated IPPs like $VST/$CEG
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