Data centers are short of 38kV switchgear. A Houston builder adds a UL-tested U.S. source
The 38kV switchgear shortage slowing data center and utility projects gets a new U.S. source as W-Industries offers UL-tested metal-clad gear from Houston.
Engineers facing the 38kV switchgear shortage on data center and utility projects have another supplier to call. Houston's W-Industries made metal-clad 38kV gear it builds in Texas available on November 10, 2026, and says it has passed every UL-witnessed test under IEEE C37.20.2-2025.
Key points
- W-Industries says its new 38kV metal-clad switchgear is rated for 1200A and 2000A continuous current with a 40kA short-time withstand, and that 3000A and 4000A versions are in development.
- The company says UL witnessed every test, at its own lab and at KEMA Labs, and that UL is now issuing the certificate.
- Citing Wood Mackenzie, W-Industries says U.S. demand for switchgear rated 16kV to 75kV rose 95 percent from 2019 to 2025 and ran 36 percent ahead of supply in 2025 (as cited in the release).
- The gear uses ABB ADVAC 38kV draw-out breakers and works with any relay platform, according to the company.
- W-Industries is a Houston subsidiary of CSE Global with roughly 1,500 employees, the release says.
Why is there a 38kV switchgear shortage?
Data centers are using far more power, enough that developers are proposing their own generation, such as a 9.6 GW nuclear-powered campus. W-Industries says large campuses, and the private power systems built to serve them, need a lot of 38kV distribution capacity. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report released by the U.S. Department of Energy found data centers drew about 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023, up to 176 TWh, and could reach 6.7% to 12% by 2028.
W-Industries says that build-out, along with behind-the-meter generation, has made 38kV gear one of the harder items to source on a project, and that certified metal-clad units are scarcer still.
"The mission now is to shave weeks off 38kV lead times. To accomplish that mission, we need to understand customers’ volumes, pace and designs."
— Todd Simmering, Senior Vice President, Electrification, W-Industries
What does W-Industries' 38kV switchgear offer?
It is air-insulated, metal-clad equipment, and the company says the testing covered the switchgear itself, its potential transformer truck and its fuse truck. W-Industries reports that the gear cleared dielectric testing on its first attempt with no flashover, and that its PT and fuse trucks were designed from scratch for 38kV, with hard-bussed PTs that discharge automatically when racked out and insulated rectangular bus bars.
| Item | What the company states |
|---|---|
| Maximum voltage | 38kV, 50/60Hz |
| Continuous current | 1200A and 2000A; 3000A and 4000A in development |
| Short-time withstand | 40kA for 2s; 104kA peak |
| Insulation level | 150kV BIL; 80kV for 60s power frequency withstand |
| Breaker | ABB ADVAC 38kV draw-out |
| Outdoor enclosure | NEMA 3R version in development |
The company adds that its engineers can handle the studies around the gear: power system and arc flash studies, protective device coordination, relay settings and IEC 61850 setup, the system-level work behind many of the electrical engineering projects we cover.
What does it mean for engineers specifying 38kV gear?
Our analysis: for a design team on a data center or utility job, another domestic metal-clad source widens the bid list for one of the slowest items on the schedule. W-Industries says it is building standard configurations and an inventory model to cut lead times, and it is asking buyers to share their volumes, pace and designs. Teams that already use a particular relay platform can keep it, since the company says the design accepts any.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the W-Industries 38kV switchgear made?
The company says it is engineered in the U.S. and designed and assembled at its Houston facilities, which it describes as sized for high section counts and repeat orders.
Is the switchgear UL certified yet?
W-Industries says it has passed every UL witness test under IEEE C37.20.2-2025 at 1200A and 2000A, and that UL is now issuing the certificate.
Who supplies the circuit breaker?
ABB. The switchgear uses ABB ADVAC 38kV draw-out circuit breakers and breaker cells, which W-Industries says it chose for ABB's technical support and component deliveries.
How do project teams reach W-Industries about the switchgear?
Through its Power & Electrification sales team, whose listed contact is Azam Jahangir, VP Growth & Strategy; the spec sheet is on the company's power page.
Sources
- U.S.-Engineered 38kV Metal-Clad Switchgear Now Available from W-Industries as Data Center Demand Outpaces Supply: press release from W-Industries via GlobeNewswire, 10 November 2026.
- DOE Releases New Report Evaluating Increase in Electricity Demand from Data Centers: U.S. Department of Energy announcement of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 2024 data center energy report.
- W-Industries Power & Electrification: the company's product page and spec sheet.