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AEP signs up to 1.6 GW of Mainspring linear generators, starting with 190 MW

American Electric Power has signed an agreement to buy up to 1.6 gigawatts of Mainspring Energy linear generators through 2034, with a first 190-megawatt tranche delivering from 2027.

By Greener Numbers Editorial Team · Published October 18, 2026 · Updated 10/18/2026

Mainspring Energy announced on October 13, 2026 that it has signed a sales agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) to provide up to 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of Mainspring Linear Generators through 2034. As part of the agreement, AEP purchased a first tranche of 190 megawatts (MW), for delivery beginning in 2027.

Mainspring describes the agreement as the largest procurement of linear generators to date and a milestone in extending its operations beyond commercial, industrial and data center markets into the investor-owned electric utility sector at gigawatt scale.

Linear generators are fuel-flexible, dispatchable onsite power units. Mainspring positions them as a rapidly deployable asset for grid capacity and stability as demand grows from AI data centers, manufacturing and electrification. The up-to-1.6 GW figure is a framework ceiling, not a firm order: only the 190 MW first tranche is a confirmed purchase, and the rest depends on future tranche orders through 2034.

"Mainspring's linear generators can provide additional capacity quickly and efficiently, allowing us to better support growing energy needs," said Bill Fehrman, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer. Mainspring CEO Tom Linebarger said the agreement highlights the value linear generators bring to AEP and its customers.

Mainspring began commercial shipments of its linear generators in 2020 and says it has more than a gigawatt in advanced development and field operations for Fortune 500 companies, data centers and utilities. For clean-energy watchers, the deal is notable less as a renewable project than as evidence that utilities are buying dispatchable, low-emissions onsite generation at grid scale.

Official source: mainspringenergy.com ↗