Scale, a Ridgewood-based provider of vertically integrated energy solutions, announced Monday the acquisition of Reload, a specialized developer of “powered land” for hyperscale data centers.
The deal, backed by global investment giant EQT, combines Scale’s expertise in designing and operating advanced energy systems with Reload’s multi-gigawatt pipeline of permitted, data-center-ready sites. The acquisition aims to solve the single biggest bottleneck in the AI revolution: the multi-year delays currently associated with utility grid interconnection.
As artificial intelligence workloads drive an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, traditional power grids are struggling to keep pace. The Scale-Reload merger creates a “fully integrated solution” that allows data center operators to deploy massive campuses paired with their own rapidly deployable, on-site power infrastructure.
Key Strategic Components of the Deal:
- Gigawatt-scale pipeline: Reload brings a massive portfolio of sites with secured access to fiber, water, and natural gas.
- Off-grid capabilities: Scale is already commissioning a multi-hundred megawatt on-site energy system for a major hyperscaler, making it one of the few firms building “islanded” (off-grid) power at this magnitude.
- EQT backing: With support from EQT—one of the world’s largest owners of digital and energy infrastructure—Scale has the capital to deploy multi-gigawatts of capacity in the coming years.
Industry leaders suggest this move signals a shift toward data centers becoming their own “power utilities” to avoid development stalls.
“Together, we’re building a fully integrated solution spanning gigawatt-scale campus development and capital-efficient energy center design,” Mike Grunow, CEO of Reload said. “We are advancing the energy industry’s ability to serve its most critical customers.”
Ryan Goodman, CEO of Scale, emphasized the talent infusion: “Welcoming Reload’s team enhances our ability to provide integrated speed-to-power solutions. We’ve been focused on advancing major projects for hyperscale customers, and we’re excited to continue building these capabilities.”
The acquisition aligns with broader 2026 market trends where “power certainty” has become more valuable than the land itself. By controlling the entire stack—from site permitting and fiber access to the actual generation of electricity—Scale is positioning itself as the primary partner for the next generation of AI-ready infrastructure.
Jan Vesely, partner at EQT Transition Infrastructure, noted that the deal supports a more integrated approach to digital infrastructure: “We are supporting a more integrated approach to delivering power for next-generation digital infrastructure today.”
