Dr. Richard Lu reports

POWERBANK ANALYZES SHIFTING HYPERSCALER ENERGY ACQUISITION STRATEGIES

PowerBank Corp. today provided analysis on significant shifts in how major technology companies are securing power infrastructure to meet rapidly growing data centre and artificial intelligence computing demands.

Over the past month, three of the world's largest technology companies -- Google, Amazon and Meta -- have announced major clean energy transactions representing distinctly different approaches to securing power supply. These developments underscore an accelerating transition in which hyperscalers are moving beyond traditional power purchase agreements (PPAs) to take direct ownership of generation assets and development portfolios, reflecting the urgency of meeting unprecedented energy requirements driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure expansion.

"The evolution we're observing represents a fundamental restructuring of how digital infrastructure companies approach energy supply," said Dr. Richard Lu, chief executive officer of Powerbank. "When hyperscalers transition from purchasing power through conventional PPAs to acquiring operating companies and development portfolios outright, it signals that traditional utility timelines and capacity allocation mechanisms are no longer adequate to meet the scale and speed of their requirements. This creates both challenges and opportunities for independent power producers like PowerBank that can deliver solar and battery storage projects capable of supporting 24/seven data centre operations."

Implications for independent power producers

The emergence of such large-scale and varied transactions creates multiple pathways for independent renewable energy companies to engage with hyperscaler demand. Companies with substantial development pipelines and operational expertise may become acquisition targets, while those with shovel-ready projects or operating assets may find opportunities for portfolio sales. Traditional PPA relationships remain viable, particularly for companies that prioritize capital efficiency and development velocity over long-term asset ownership.

Powerbank's strategic positioning addresses multiple elements of this evolving market landscape:

• Development pipeline of over one gigawatt across key North American markets;
• Proven record of delivering over 100 megawatts of operational renewable energy projects, demonstrating execution capability;
• Expertise in battery energy storage systems (BESS) integration, critical for addressing the 24/seven power requirements of data centre operations;
• Experience across distributed solar, community solar and utility-scale projects, providing flexibility in transaction structure and deployment model;
• Planned expansion into advanced data centre power solutions, including space-based computing infrastructure through the company's collaboration with Orbit AI.

Market outlook and growth trajectory

The aggregate capital commitment represented by these three transactions -- exceeding $4-billion in announced value -- illustrates the magnitude of investment flowing into renewable energy infrastructure to support digital economy growth. Industry projections indicate that data centre power consumption in the United States alone could increase by 160 per cent by 2030, driven primarily by artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads that require substantially more computational resources than traditional applications.

This demand trajectory is compounded by corporate sustainability commitments. Major technology companies have established aggressive carbon-neutrality targets, typically seeking to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 or earlier. Meeting these commitments while simultaneously expanding data centre capacity creates an imperative for renewable energy deployment at unprecedented scale and velocity.

Powerbank expects these market dynamics to accelerate consolidation activity within the renewable energy sector, as hyperscalers seek to acquire both operating assets and development capabilities. The company views its diversified portfolio structure, technical expertise in solar-plus-storage systems and strategic focus on data centre power solutions as differentiating factors in this evolving competitive landscape.

"What we're observing is not simply an increase in renewable energy procurement -- it's a structural transformation in how critical digital infrastructure secures its power supply," Dr. Lu concluded. "Powerbank has positioned itself to participate across multiple transaction models, whether through traditional PPAs, project portfolio sales or strategic partnerships. Our focus remains on delivering reliable, carbon-free energy solutions that enable the next generation of computing infrastructure while advancing the transition to sustainable energy systems."

At this time Powerbank elected not to make an investment in Orbit AI and the terms of any remuneration for services Powerbank may provide Orbit AI have not yet been determined. Powerbank does not presently have any contracts with hyperscalers for power supply, sale of assets or a corporate transaction.

About Powerbank Corp.

Powerbank is an independent renewable and clean energy project developer and owner focusing on distributed and community solar projects in Canada and the United States. The company develops solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects that sell electricity to utilities, commercial, industrial, municipal and residential off-takers. The company maximizes returns via a diverse portfolio of projects across multiple leading North America markets including projects with utilities, host off-takers, community solar and virtual net metering projects. The company has a potential development pipeline of over one gigawatt and has developed renewable and clean energy projects with a combined capacity of over 100 megawatts built.

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