Copper and Aluminum in Data Center Power Infrastructure: Grid, Transformers, and Generation

Hyperscale data center expansion has shifted from a diffuse capex theme to a concentrated, quantifiable stress on power-infrastructure supply chains. Power-transformer lead times now run well beyond two years, domestic US capacity covers only a fraction of demand, and the equipment market sits in structural deficit. This report establishes the copper and aluminum intensity of the full power-delivery stack, from grid substation and transmission interconnect through medium-voltage switchgear, busbars, and backup generation, on a per-megawatt basis calibrated to disclosed hyperscale sites. It separates the power-infrastructure demand signal from facility-level wiring and identifies where transformer winding mix, aluminum substitution, and grain-oriented steel constraints alter the effective metal draw.