3 Infrastructure Stocks Fueling the Data Center Building Boom

Summary

Investors often focus on the small stuff when considering AI stocks. Ultra-dense chips, precise lasers, and tools capable of inspecting the millimeter gaps between wafers are often viewed as the big innovations in the space, and the companies making these products have seen exponential stock gains. However, investors would also be wise to consider the infrastructure that makes all of these processes possible in the first place. Data centers still require substantial nuts-and-bolts hardware and maintenance to operate efficiently. AI can’t run without electricity, big buildings, and a Goldilocks environment where the conditions are just right. That means huge investments in things like transformers, turbines, power lines, piping and plumbing, and HVAC systems. Get Quanta Services alerts:Sign Up According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity consumption is expected to grow by up to 1.6% annually over the next 25 years. Data center energy usage was cited as a significant factor in the anticipated increase. These figures underscore the massive infrastructure investments required to support the buildout, and the following three companies are already benefiting from the AI cash spigot. Each of the following three companies solves a critical chokepoint in data center construction and operation, offering some portfolio diversity in a tech sector stack. Sterling Infrastructure: Laying the Foundation for Data Center Site DevelopmentSterling Infrastructure TodaySTRLSterling Infrastructure$848.84 0.00 (0.00%) As of 05/15/2026 04:00 PM Eastern52-Week Range$176.15▼$893.13P/E Ratio75.92Price Target$668.20 Sterling Infrastructure Inc. NASDAQ: STRL does the groundwork for data center construction—literally. The company prepares the site where data center facilities will be built, installing electrical infrastructure and foundations for iron and composite fittings. Most of the company’s operations come from Texas and the Mid-Atlantic corridor, and it booked...