Wedbush Launches AI Power & Infrastructure ETF as Energy Becomes the Key Force Behind the AI Boom

Why It Matters

The fund links AI’s explosive demand to the tangible energy and infrastructure bottlenecks, offering investors a targeted way to capture growth in a sector poised for massive capital spending.

Key Takeaways

• Wedbush launches IVEP ETF focusing on AI-related power and infrastructure
• ETF tracks 'IVES Power 30' list of 30 companies
• U.S. data center electricity use projected 470 TWh by 2030
• AI workloads expected to raise energy demand 23% above forecasts
• IVEP invests across generation, grid, equipment, and material segments

Pulse Analysis

The rapid expansion of generative‑AI models has turned electricity into the most critical input for tech firms. Wedbush’s own research projects U.S. data‑center power use climbing to roughly 470 terawatt‑hours by 2030, a 23 percent lift over consensus forecasts. Unlike traditional cloud workloads, AI inference and training consume orders of magnitude more energy, creating pressure on generation capacity, transmission lines, and cooling infrastructure. As utilities scramble to secure baseload supply and developers race to build new data‑center campuses, the sector’s capital needs are set to surge.

To capture that upside, Wedbush Fund Advisers introduced the Dan Ives Wedbush AI Power & Infrastructure ETF (ticker IVEP) on April 8, 2026. The fund follows the earlier AI Revolution ETF (IVES) but shifts focus from software to the physical backbone that powers AI. Its holdings are drawn from the proprietary “IVES Power 30” research report, covering four pillars: power generation and fuel supply, grid and data‑center infrastructure, equipment and power‑management solutions, and specialty materials. By leveraging the research of Dan Ives and Seth Basham, IVEP offers a concentrated, research‑driven exposure to the companies likely to benefit from the looming energy surge.

Investors eyeing AI‑driven growth now have a vehicle that directly links performance to the sector’s most tangible constraint—energy. As utilities invest billions in renewable capacity and grid upgrades, and as data‑center developers secure long‑term power contracts, the companies in IVEP’s portfolio could see revenue acceleration and higher margins. However, the fund’s non‑diversified, sector‑concentrated design amplifies exposure to regulatory shifts, commodity price volatility, and construction delays. For capital‑allocation strategies that blend thematic AI exposure with infrastructure fundamentals, IVEP adds a differentiated, research‑backed option to the ETF landscape.