Equipment Rental Expands Gas Generator Fleets for Bridge Power

Equipment rental companies are moving into bridge power for data centers and other large sites. On their third-quarter 2026 earnings calls on November 10, 2026, US equipment renter EquipmentShare.com (EQPT) and Caterpillar dealer Finning International (FTT) both said they are adding natural gas generator fleets to rent on short-to-medium terms to large sites that cannot get a grid connection in time [1][2].

Why large sites need bridge power

Data centers and large industrial projects need either a grid connection or a permanent power plant once they are built, and both can arrive years after the project itself is ready. That gap calls for a temporary power source. Long-duration on-site supply has typically come from specialist power providers that sign long contracts with large customers; EquipmentShare said many peers sign contracts of 10, 15 or 20 years [1]. General rental companies, which usually rent out construction equipment, are now entering this gap. They buy gas generator sets, rent them to a site on shorter terms, and move them to the next project once permanent power is connected. Finning's management described the business as a medium-term bridge to a full-time power generation solution [2].

Generator supply is tight, so only renters that can get units can compete. Finning's management said any one engine could have four end destinations right now [2], and EquipmentShare said no single manufacturer has enough supply [1].

Both renters are expanding generator fleets, without revenue figures yet

EquipmentShare is building power generation into a distinct growth line. It signed a multi-year agreement with Cummins to expand its natural gas generation fleet to nearly 1 gigawatt, to be run with its T3 equipment telematics platform and nationwide service network [1]. The company said its power division doubled year over year and stressed that it stays in short-to-midterm power because being locked into a long-term contract that cannot be changed earns a lot less money [1]. Its power revenue is not reported separately, and the new fleet's impact starts at the earliest in late Q4 2026 [1].

Finning is putting capital spending and an acquisition behind the shift. It sells Caterpillar equipment in Western Canada, South America, the UK and Ireland, and recently acquired JF Hunt Power in the UK to expand its power rental business there [2]. Management said investors can expect a step up in power generation rental capex in line with bridging opportunities, describing construction as steady state and power as early innings [2]. It also wants these units to be transferable between projects rather than engineered for a single site [2]. Six months earlier, on its first-quarter call, Finning had only flagged longer lead times for large reciprocating engines [3].

Contract length is splitting the on-site power market

The economics of bridge power rest on two things: whether a renter can secure units, and whether it can re-price each contract when it rolls over. Shorter terms let renters adjust prices to the market, but if the grid connection arrives earlier than expected, the customer returns the equipment early.

Specialist providers are not shortening their contracts. Solaris Energy Infrastructure (SEI) said its newest 900 megawatt contract has an initial 15-year term and its weighted average tenor is about 11 years, even though its equipment can also be moved between locations [4]. A more reasonable reading is that the market is splitting by duration, with long contracts staying with specialists and gaps of months to a few years going to renters. Herc Holdings (HRI), another large US equipment renter, did not mention power generation on its third-quarter call [5], so only two companies have disclosed this shift directly. The next things to watch are whether either company starts reporting power rental revenue or fleet size separately, and whether Finning's capital spending actually steps up.

Companies exposed to the shift

• United Rentals (URI): The largest US equipment renter says its power vertical is more than 10% of the business and that power as a product has grown at double digits for 10 years [6]. Large sites waiting for grid power could also turn to it, but its power business is mainly standby and temporary supply, and it has not separately disclosed a gas bridging fleet.
• Cummins (CMI): The named generator supplier in EquipmentShare's agreement reported 22% growth in North America power generation revenue in the third quarter, with shipments still limited by supply chains [7]. Rental companies could become a new buyer channel, but the actual increase depends on the agreement's delivery schedule.
• Stabilis Solutions (SLNG): It trucks small-scale liquefied natural gas to on-site generators that lack a pipeline connection. Data center customers were 17% of its third-quarter revenue, and an approximately $200 million two-year bridge power fuel contract starts in Q1 2027 [8]. That contract is not with EquipmentShare or Finning; it ties Stabilis to bridge generation demand in general.

Sources

[1] Drillr · EquipmentShare.com (EQPT) · 2026-11-10 · Earnings call

[2] Drillr · Finning International (FTT) · 2026-11-10 · Earnings call

rental slash it's not rental really it's more a medium term bridging solution to a full-time power generation solution is becoming more and more prevalent and more and more of an interesting opportunity for us as we look forward.

[3] Drillr · Finning International (FTT) · 2026-05-13 · Earnings call summary

[4] Drillr · Solaris Energy Infrastructure (SEI) · 2026-11-05 · Earnings call

[5] Drillr · Herc Holdings (HRI) · 2026-10-27 · Earnings call

[6] Drillr · United Rentals (URI) · 2026-07-23 · Earnings call

[7] Drillr · Cummins (CMI) · 2026-11-05 · Earnings call

[8] Drillr · Stabilis Solutions (SLNG) · 2026-11-05 · Earnings call

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