Long-term investors and traders must buy stocks that are part of one of the biggest megatrends and supercycles on Wall Street: the AI Energy Trade.

Investors need to cash in on the growing relationship between artificial intelligence and skyrocketing energy and electricity demand, and buy best-in-class stocks and upstarts across nuclear energy, natural gas, solar, battery storage, grid technology and infrastructure, and more.

The AI age is projected to help drive a 25% increase in U.S. electricity demand by the end of the decade and 75% to 100% growth by 2050.

The companies powering the AI age should be part of investors’ long-term portfolios because they stand to win no matter who the actual AI winners are down the road.

Here’s a look at some of the best AI energy stocks (Cameco, GE Vernova) for investors to buy now to start 2026 and hold for the long haul. 

Why Investors Should Buy the Stocks Powering AI 

Taiwan Semiconductor’s (TSM Quick QuoteTSM - Free Report)  fourth quarter report and guidance confirmed that the AI spending boom remains in full throttle in 2026. The semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse boosted its capex guidance to between $52 billion and $56 billion for this year, blowing away 2025's $40.9 billion.

The maker of AI chips expects its revenue to grow 30% in 2026, with sales set to expand at a CAGR of ~25% from 2024 to 2029.

Total AI hyperscaler capex is projected to hit $530 billion in 2026, up from roughly $400 billion last year.

Global data center infrastructure spending is expected to reach ~$7 trillion by 2030, with $1.3 trillion of this spending going toward power generation and the broader energy industry.

The artificial intelligence arms race and the electrification boom are sending U.S. electricity demand soaring. This is why Amazon, Meta, and the other AI hyperscalers are securing long-term power agreements with nuclear energy firms, natural gas companies, and more.

Big Tech companies and the U.S. government are 100% committed to helping fuel massive energy industry expansion.

The reason is simple: the AI hyperscalers and the U.S. Federal Government won’t let a lack of power hinder the multi-trillion-dollar AI spending spree that’s set to drive the economy and Wall Street.

Meta kicked off 2026 by making three new nuclear energy deals to expand its efforts to power its AI growth around the country. Alphabet closed 2025 by announcing a nearly $5 billion deal to acquire energy infrastructure solutions provider Intersect to “enable more data center and generation capacity to come online, faster, while accelerating energy development and innovation.”

U.S. grid operators are facing a tidal wave of AI data center demand requests that they cannot accommodate as the country faces a massive, nearly overnight energy/electricity demand boom—U.S. electricity demand could soar 75% to 100% by 2050.

This is why the U.S. government is aiming to help quadruple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Most recently, the Trump administration late last week announced an effort to make AI hyperscalers enter into long-term power deals and help “build more than $15 billion of reliable baseload power generation.”

Buy CCJ and Hold for Long-Term Uranium and Nuclear Growth

Cameco (CCJ Quick QuoteCCJ - Free Report)  is the second-largest uranium (the fuel for nuclear energy) miner in the world and a leading supplier of refining, conversion, and fuel manufacturing services.

The Canadian company is growing increasingly important to the U.S. as the country attempts to quadruple its nuclear capacity while ending its reliance on Russia and the region, which currently dominates the uranium market.

CCJ also owns 49% of Westinghouse Electric, one of the largest nuclear equipment and services businesses in the world. Westinghouse secured a substantial contract with the U.S. government to assist in the construction of 10 new large-scale nuclear reactors.

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Amid this backdrop, Cameco is projected to grow its adjusted earnings by 100% in FY25 and 55% in 2026. The uranium miner’s recent upward earnings revisions earn it a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now.

CCJ stock skyrocketed 800% in the past five years, including a 125% surge in the past 12 months, to help it overtake its 2007 highs. Some investors might want to wait for a pullback to some longer-term moving averages.

Yet, the rapid revival of nuclear power already sent uranium prices to their highest levels in over 15 years in 2024. Despite a pullback, uranium prices are still up roughly 170% since the start of 2021. Plus, uranium demand is set to outstrip supply for years to come.

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Cameco trades at an 85% discount to its highs, below the S&P 500, and in-line with the Energy sector in terms of its price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio at 1.3. This relative value comes even though it blew away the benchmark and the Energy sector over the last five and 25 years.

Investors interested in uranium should also consider buying U.S. uranium companies such as Energy Fuels (UUUU Quick QuoteUUUU - Free Report) , Centrus Energy (LEU Quick QuoteLEU - Free Report) , and Uranium Energy (UEC Quick QuoteUEC - Free Report)  as the country races to restart its domestic nuclear fuel industry. 

Is GEV the Best AI Energy Stock to Buy?

GE Vernova (GEV Quick QuoteGEV - Free Report)  continues cementing its case to be one of the more sure-fire long-term winners in the AI energy trade. The GE spinoff boasts that its customers generate roughly 25% of global electricity via its installed base of technologies across nuclear, natural gas, electrification, and beyond.

GEV has provided nuclear turbine technologies and services for all reactor types for decades. On top of that, it's ready to be one of a few titans of the next generation of nuclear energy, small modular reactors (SMRs), via its GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy unit and its BWRX-300 SMRs.

GE Vernova is working directly with power companies in the U.S. and Canada to deploy its next-gen SMRs by the early 2030s.

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The company is also a natural gas turbine giant. This provides huge growth runway as the AI hyperscalers race to make natural gas deals while they wait for more nuclear power to come online. GEV’s power conversion, energy storage, and grid solutions are also gaining momentum.

GEV stock briefly broke out of the trading range was stuck in for the back of 2025 after it raised its long-term financial guidance on December 9. The company said its “electrification backlog will double in the next 3 years,” with its total backlog projected to climb from $135 billion to $200 by year-end 2028.

The AI energy giant's growth outlook empowered GEV to boost its shareholder rewards. GEV in December doubled its quarterly dividend for 2026 and lifted its repurchase authorization to $10 billion from $6 billion.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The gas turbine and nuclear technology standout is projected to grow its adjusted EPS by 31% in FY25 and 82% in FY26 to reach $13.27 a share vs. $5.58 in 2024, based on the most recent Zacks estimates. It is expected to expand its revenue by 6% in FY25 and 14% in 2026 to pull in $42 billion—GEV projects its revenue will reach $52 billion by 2028.

GEV stock has skyrocketed 385% since its April 2024 IPO, crushing Nvidia’s 110% and AI chip manufacturer Taiwan Semi’s 145%. The stock jumped on Friday to climb firmly above its 21-day moving average. It is now on the cusp of returning to its December records heading into its Q4 earnings release on January 28. 

Check out the Alternative Energy Innovators service at Zacks for a deeper dive into all the other best-in-class stocks to buy across nuclear, uranium, electrification, solar, and beyond.