Vertiv is moving further upstream in the data centre power market with an agreement to acquire UtilityInnovation Group (UIG), a specialist in microgrid systems, advanced power controls and behind-the-meter energy infrastructure.
The deal, announced on September 2, 2026, will see Vertiv pay approximately $1.45 billion in cash when the transaction closes. UIG could receive an additional $1.15 billion if it reaches specified EBITDA targets over the following 12 and 24 months.
Vertiv said the acquisition is intended to strengthen its ability to help data centre operators secure and deploy power at a time when electricity availability is becoming one of the biggest constraints on new AI infrastructure projects.
Moving beyond traditional data centre power systems
The transaction will broaden Vertiv’s existing power and cooling portfolio to include technologies that sit closer to the utility connection and onsite power generation.
UIG brings microgrid controls, onsite generation and energy-storage orchestration, specialised microgrid switchgear and behind-the-meter power architecture capabilities. The company’s approach is designed to work across different generation technologies rather than being tied to a particular equipment supplier or fuel source.
For Vertiv, that creates a more comprehensive power architecture extending from the grid interconnection to the computing chip.
The company believes this could become increasingly important as AI data centres require enormous amounts of electricity and face longer waits for traditional utility connections.
AI data centres are changing how sites are planned
The shortage of available grid capacity is also changing when power decisions are made during data centre development.
Rather than treating power infrastructure as a later-stage equipment decision, operators are increasingly considering generation, storage and microgrid architecture when evaluating a site in the first place.
Microgrids can coordinate multiple sources of electricity, including onsite generation and energy storage, while allowing facilities to operate with reduced dependence on the utility grid. Depending on the project, these systems can also provide a pathway for sites to operate before a full grid connection becomes available.
Vertiv sees this as an opportunity to become involved much earlier in the development process.
Vertiv aims to shorten the path from site selection to AI deployment
Gio Albertazzi, Vertiv’s chief executive officer, said the company expects the combination with UIG to give AI data centre operators more options for dealing with power constraints.
“For AI data centre operators, competitive advantage increasingly depends on how quickly they can move from site selection to first token,” Albertazzi said.
He added that UIG’s capabilities could allow Vertiv to support different types of deployments, including sites connected directly to the grid, facilities using temporary or “bridge-to-grid” power arrangements, and locations that initially rely on independent onsite generation.
The goal, according to Vertiv, is to simplify the power architecture from the earliest stages of planning through to rack-level infrastructure and ultimately reduce the time required to bring AI computing capacity online.
UIG brings microgrid controls and power architecture expertise
Founded in 2020, UIG has developed its business around complex power requirements for large-scale data centre projects.
The company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, while its European headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. It also operates manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and New Jersey.
Its systems are designed to manage power flows and coordinate different energy resources in real time. Its portfolio includes proprietary controls software, customised microgrid switchgear and energy-storage solutions.
UIG has worked with AI data centre operators in the United States and Europe and has developed relationships with utilities involved in large and complex deployments.
Its generation-agnostic approach means a project can be designed around the technologies that are available and practical for a particular site, including considerations such as permitted fuels, infrastructure requirements and financing.
Three areas expected to strengthen Vertiv’s offering
Vertiv highlighted three major areas where UIG’s capabilities complement its existing business.
The first is project experience. UIG has experience designing and delivering microgrid systems for large data centre operators, including projects requiring coordination with utilities and multiple power sources.
The second is early-stage power planning. UIG works with customers before major equipment selections are made, helping establish the overall power architecture that will determine many of the infrastructure decisions that follow.
The third is proprietary technology. Its controls platform and pre-engineered microgrid switchgear are designed to coordinate several power sources and integrate them with the facility’s critical power systems.
Vertiv said combining these capabilities with its existing systems expertise, global service organisation and power and cooling portfolio could provide customers with a more integrated approach to infrastructure deployment.
Customers could gain more flexibility in sourcing power
The companies expect the deal to deliver several practical benefits for data centre developers and operators.
Among them is the potential to gain access to power without relying entirely on utility interconnection schedules. Operators could also increase the amount of capacity available at a site beyond what the existing grid connection can provide.
Vertiv also expects customers to benefit from having a single provider responsible for the power architecture stretching from the grid interconnect through to rack-level infrastructure.
That could give operators more flexibility as their energy requirements change, particularly as AI workloads continue to increase the amount of power required per facility.
Financial terms and expected impact
At the initial purchase price of roughly $1.45 billion, Vertiv said the transaction represents about 13 times UIG’s expected 2027 EBITDA.
The effective multiple would be substantially lower if UIG achieves the performance targets required for the additional $1.15 billion earnout.
Vertiv expects the acquisition to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share during the first full year following completion.
The company said the deal also expands its addressable opportunity in data centres where access to electricity is becoming a limiting factor for growth.
UIG leadership sees global scale as an opportunity
Sidney Hinton, UIG’s founder and chief executive, said the company was created to address increasingly complicated power requirements through flexible architectures that are not dependent on a single technology.
He described Vertiv’s global reach, infrastructure portfolio and service capabilities as a strong complement to UIG’s existing business.
Hinton said the combination could allow UIG’s microgrid controls and power architecture expertise to reach more customers as electricity availability becomes a more significant constraint on data centre expansion.
Deal expected to close later this year
The proposed acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Vertiv expects the transaction to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2026.
J.P. Morgan Securities is serving as financial adviser to Vertiv, with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney providing legal counsel. Morgan Stanley is advising UIG, while Davis Polk & Wardwell is acting as its legal counsel.
Vertiv expands its role in the AI infrastructure race
The UIG acquisition represents a broader shift in how Vertiv approaches the rapidly growing AI data centre market.
As operators face increasingly difficult challenges around electricity availability, simply supplying equipment inside a data centre may no longer be enough. By adding microgrid controls, onsite power orchestration and behind-the-meter architecture, Vertiv is positioning itself to have a role much earlier in the development of a facility.
The strategy is ultimately aimed at giving data centre operators more ways to secure, manage and scale electricity—and reducing the time between choosing a site and putting AI infrastructure into operation.
