How Caterpillar is Powering West Virginia AI Campus

American Intelligence & Power Corporation has formed a strategic alliance with Caterpillar and Boyd CAT to deliver large-scale dedicated power for hyperscale AI data centres.

The agreement supports the development of the Monarch Compute Campus in West Virginia. This multi-phase platform is designed to meet the growing energy demands of AI-driven workloads.

Under the agreement, American Intelligence & Power Corp has ordered 2GW of fast-response natural gas generator sets from Caterpillar for Monarch's initial phase.

Equipment deliveries are scheduled between September 2026 and August 2027. Power delivery is set to begin in 2026, with 2GW expected to be online in 2027.

Monarch is a behind-the-meter solution for data centre operators seeking long-term access to reliable power without pressuring public grids.

AI data centres feature extreme load variability and high-density compute environments requiring fast-response, stable power.

Delivering scalable power solutions

To address specific site requirements, Monarch combines natural gas generation with battery energy storage. This absorbs rapid load swings while maintaining power quality.

“This strategic alliance reflects a shared commitment to delivering reliable, scalable and capital-efficient power solutions on an accelerated timeline,” says Daniel J. Shapiro, CEO of American Intelligence & Power Corp.

“Our design is purpose-built for AI data centre operations, combining fast-response natural gas generation with battery energy storage to manage rapid load variability and deliver consistent power quality at scale.

“By leveraging our existing microgrid designation from the State of West Virginia, we can bring new capacity online quickly while supporting long-term grid reliability and resilience, without increasing rates or adding costs for existing utility customers.”

The initial 2GW deployment is the first phase of a plan targeting up to 8GW of total generation capacity.

This phased approach aligns power delivery with the buildout timelines of hyperscale customers.

Caterpillar technology in use

The platform centres on Caterpillar G3516 fast-response natural gas generator sets. Designed for continuous-duty operation, these units ramp from zero to full load in approximately seven seconds.

This rapid ramp-up is crucial for fluctuating AI workloads.

“This collaboration reflects Caterpillar and our dealers' continued focus on supporting customers that require primary, continuous-duty power at scale through our broad energy solutions portfolio,” says Melissa Busen, Senior Vice President of Electric Power at Caterpillar.

“Projects like Monarch demonstrate how Caterpillar's natural gas generation platforms are being deployed as core infrastructure for data centres and other power intensive applications where reliability, speed of deployment and lifecycle performance are critical.”

Operating on natural gas, the generators incorporate advanced emissions controls. This includes selective catalytic reduction to meet ultra-low emissions standards.

Supporting project lifecycle needs

Boyd CAT will support the Monarch deployment with technical expertise and long-term service capability.

“Our customers depend on us for reliability, responsiveness and deep technical support, and this project is a powerful example of that commitment,” says Andrew Boyd, President & CEO of Boyd CAT.

“The scale of the Monarch project demands precision and performance, and Boyd CAT is ready to deliver both as AIP Corp brings new generation capacity online.”

The alliance establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration between American Intelligence & Power Corp and Caterpillar.

This includes planning for phased expansion, operations, maintenance, service readiness and parts support. Vendor equipment financing through Caterpillar Financial is included to support efficient execution.

Monarch is a fully self-supplied power platform requiring no incremental utility transmission or distribution infrastructure.

Onsite generation reduces dependency on constrained regional grids, enabling faster deployment. Advanced monitoring systems will support high availability.

With its West Virginia microgrid designation, the project avoids increasing rates for utility customers while contributing to grid resilience.

The Monarch model reflects a shift toward dedicated generation platforms aligning energy delivery with data centre timelines.