Wood Mackenzie assessment of US substation-transformer lead times in 2026, reported by Data Center Knowledge on 2026-05-04
>160 wkobserved
| Value kind | observed — Reported measurements, counts, and specifications keep the precision and scope stated by their source; an exact specification is not treated as a range. |
|---|---|
| Scope | Reported market assessment for US substation transformers, not a universal minimum, survey mean, bounded order distribution or generator step-up lead time |
| Caveat | An earlier Wood Mackenzie figure, the 128-week average in its Q2 2025 survey (published October 2025), measured a different period; use the 2026 assessment for current planning. |
| As of | 2026-05 |
| Source | Wood Mackenzie (Ben Boucher), reported by Data Center Knowledge, 2026-05-04 · Passage on electrical equipment as a build limiter: substation-transformer lead times of around 140 weeks in 2023 have extended beyond 160 weeks in 2026 |
| Review | checking…review by 2026-12-01 · fast cadence |
| Recorded changes | last 2026-10-13 · 6 revisions tracked |
| Claim id | hv-substation-power-transformer-lead-time-144 |
Where the guide uses it
- 0.1 Orientation: The AI Data Center as a Single Co-Designed Machine
- 2.1 Program & Project Management: The Integrated Master Schedule & Critical Path
- 2.2 Delivery Models & the Owner's Organization
- 2.4 The Contract Stack & Commercial/Legal Framework
- 3.2 Grid Access, Large-Load Service & Speed-to-Power
- 4.1 Power Topology Foundations & Voltage Selection
- 4.3 Substation & Transmission Ownership, Operations & NERC Compliance
- 4.4 Transformers, Harmonics & the AI Non-Linear-Load Problem
- 6.3 Building Envelope, Architecture & Site Civil Works
- 6.6 Construction Execution, Sequencing & Phased Turnover
- 14.5 Predictive & Preventive Maintenance of Power and Cooling Plant
- 16.1 The Power-Bound Era: Why the Bottleneck Moved to the Substation
← Full numbers register — every date-stamped figure in the guide, with revision history.