Transformer lead times
Power transformers average 128 weeks from order to delivery (Q2 2025, Wood Mackenzie). Generator step-up units passed 160 weeks in Q1 2026. Before the pandemic, both took 30 to 60.
Lead time rating
US market · checkedPower transformer
128 weeks
Average, Q2 2025 · Wood Mackenzie
Source quote
“Power transformer lead times eased in Q2 falling by 10 weeks to an average of 128 weeks.”
Wood Mackenzie: Making the connection: meeting the electric T&D supply chain challenge, Executive Summary, September 2025 (with American Clean Power) · record
Generator step-up (GSU)
160+ weeks
More than, Q1 2026 · Wood Mackenzie (Ben Boucher, via Reuters)
Source quote
“Generator step-up transformer lead times surpassed 160 weeks by the first quarter of 2026, compared with an average of 143 weeks in 2024, while for high-voltage circuit breakers, they climbed to 125 weeks in the second half of last year, versus 77 weeks in 2023, according to Boucher.”
Reuters via Kitco: US power companies scramble to secure equipment as surging data center demand strains supplies (9 Jul 2026) · record
- Price
- +85.9% US transformer producer prices, Jan 2020 to Sep 2026. Our calculation from BLS series PCU335311335311.
- Before 2020
- 30–60 weeks for large power and GSU units (Wood Mackenzie (via POWER)).
- Serial
- TLT-2026.11 · 60 observations · CC BY 4.0
Q2 2025 Power transformer 128 weeks
“Power transformer lead times eased in Q2 falling by 10 weeks to an average of 128 weeks.”
Wood Mackenzie · Wood Mackenzie: Making the connection: meeting the electric T&D supply chain challenge, Executive Summary, September 2025 (with American Clean Power) read 2026-11-09 · record
Where lead times stand now
All 60 readingsThe transformer shortage is a large-unit problem now. Distribution lead times came down from their 2022–2024 peaks of up to two years, while power transformers and GSUs kept climbing: Wood Mackenzie’s quarterly survey shows power units easing to 128 weeks in Q2 2025 and GSUs breaking 160 weeks in Q1 2026. Plan a substation or a generator interconnection around three years of transformer lead time, and a pad-mount around a year.
| Class | Latest reading | Also reported | Before the shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large power | 128weeks Q2 2025 · Wood Mackenzie | Pushing past three years Jul 2026 · Reuters (Roseville Electric CEO Dan Beans) | 30–60 weeks 2019 · Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) |
| Generator step-up (GSU) | 160+weeks Q1 2026 · Wood Mackenzie (Ben Boucher, via Reuters) | 143.4 weeks Q2 2025 · Wood Mackenzie | 30–60 weeks 2019 · Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) (large power and GSU combined) |
| Pad-mount, 3-phase | 46.4weeks Q2 2025 · Wood Mackenzie | 40+ weeks Aug 2026 · Giga Energy | No pre-2021 week figure for this class |
| Pad-mount, 1-phase | 24weeks Q2 2025 · Wood Mackenzie | 19.9 weeks Q1 2025 · Wood Mackenzie | No pre-2021 week figure for this class |
| Distribution, all types | Over two years (vs three months in 2018) 2024 · American Public Power Association | Up to two years (4x pre-2022) Feb 2024 · NREL (via pv magazine USA) | 12–14 weeks 2018 · Latitude Media (Catalyst podcast, ERMCO CEO Tim Mills) |
| Pole-mount, on its own | No published lead-time figure for pole-mount units alone. APPA and NREL report distribution transformers as one group; Wood Mackenzie publishes pole-top prices (+21% from Jan 2023 to Mar 2025) but no pole-top lead time. Send us one | ||
60 of 60 observations
| Type and size | As the source states it | Source | Quote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +85.9% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2026-09 = 475.065” | ||||||||
| Aug 2026 | ≠160+ | Large power | Power / substation transformerPower / substation | US | 160+ weeks; index says this is Wood Mackenzie's 2026 read (aggregator, not primary) | VAWN (aggregating Wood Mackenzie) · weak source | usevawn.com | |
“The substation transformer figure is Wood Mackenzie’s 2026 read of above 160 weeks.” | ||||||||
| Aug 2026 | 40+ | Pad-mount 3-phase | Pad-mount three-phase distribution transformerPad-mounted 3-phase (data center spec) | US | 40-plus weeks (supplier's field observation) | Giga Energy | gigaenergy.com | |
“The number I hear over and over is 40-plus weeks for the three-phase padmount transformers data center projects actually need.” | ||||||||
| Jul 2026 | mo/yr | Large power | Large substation transformerLarge substation | US | Pushing past three years | Reuters (Roseville Electric CEO Dan Beans) | kitco.com | |
“But with large transformers for substations pushing past a three-year waiting time, the utility is buying equipment for projects that it knows are coming five years in advance, he added.” | ||||||||
| May 2026 | mo/yr | Large power | High-capacity power transformerHigh capacity | US | As long as four years | PwC analysts (via pv magazine, citing Reuters Events) | pv-magazine.com | |
“A combination of surging demand and raw material shortages has pushed lead times for high capacity units to as long as four years, according to analysts from PwC.” | ||||||||
| May 2026 | mo/yr | Large power | Large power transformerTypical LPT (100 MVA); extra-high-voltage up to 5 years | US | Approximately 2.5 to 3 years for a typical 100 MVA unit; up to 5 years for extra-high-voltage units | National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), US DOE | nlr.gov | |
“Long lead times: The procurement timeline for a typical LPT (rated to handle 100 megavolt-amperes of electrical power) is approximately 2.5 to 3 years and up to 5 years for extra-high-voltage LPTs.” | ||||||||
| May 2026 | 200+ | Large power | Large power transformerLarge | US/EU | Up to 200 weeks in critical cases; attributed to Northfield Transformers (a vendor) - weak source | Transformer Technology (citing Northfield Transformers) · weak source | transformer-technology.com | |
“Some reports indicate that large power transformers can now require 200 weeks (nearly four years) for delivery in the United States and parts of Europe ( northfieldtransformers.com ).” | ||||||||
| Q1 2026 | 160+ | GSU | Generator step-up (GSU)GSU | US | More than 160 weeks | Wood Mackenzie (Ben Boucher, via Reuters) | kitco.com | |
“Generator step-up transformer lead times surpassed 160 weeks by the first quarter of 2026, compared with an average of 143 weeks in 2024, while for high-voltage circuit breakers, they climbed to 125 weeks in the second half of last year, versus 77 weeks in 2023, according to Boucher.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2026 | mo/yr | Large power | Large power transformer100 MVA and above | US | More than doubled compared with 2019 | BloombergNEF (via pv magazine) | pv-magazine.com | |
“Data from market intelligence provider BloombergNEF show that lead times for supply of large transformers (100 megavolt-amp and above) have more than doubled compared to 2019, and in the US market prices for transformers have increased by 79%.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2026 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +78.4% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2026-01 = 455.931” | ||||||||
| Q2 2025 | ≠143.4 | GSU | Generator step-up (GSU)GSU | US | Average 143.4 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Generation step up transformers (GSUs) recorded a slight decline quarter over quarter in Q2 easing to 143 weeks on average, although the new tariffs are likely to exacerbate lead times as supply chains will take time to adapt.” | ||||||||
| Q2 2025 | 128 | Large power | Power transformerPower transformer (classified by type, not voltage) | US | Average 128 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Power transformer lead times eased in Q2 falling by 10 weeks to an average of 128 weeks.” | ||||||||
| Q2 2025 | ≠24 | Pad-mount 1-phase | Pad-mount single-phase distribution transformerPad-mounted 1-phase | US | Average 24 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Other key categories including pad mount 1 and 3 phase transformers, reclosers and wire & cable all recorded steady increases in Q2, while switchgear edged down to an average of 44 weeks.” | ||||||||
| Q2 2025 | ≠46.4 | Pad-mount 3-phase | Pad-mount three-phase distribution transformerPad-mounted 3-phase | US | Average 46.4 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Other key categories including pad mount 1 and 3 phase transformers, reclosers and wire & cable all recorded steady increases in Q2, while switchgear edged down to an average of 44 weeks.” | ||||||||
| Mar 2025 | – | Prices | Pole-mounted distribution transformerPole-top | US | +21% vs January 2023 (index Jan 23 = 100) | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Transformer Price Change by Specification January 2023 – March 2025 ... Pad Mount 1 Phase (+18%) Pad Mount 3 Phase (+20%) Pole Top (+21%) Power Transformer (+15%) Substation Transformers (8%)” | ||||||||
| Mar 2025 | – | Prices | Power transformerPower transformer | US | +15% vs January 2023 (index Jan 23 = 100) | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Transformer Price Change by Specification January 2023 – March 2025 ... Pad Mount 1 Phase (+18%) Pad Mount 3 Phase (+20%) Pole Top (+21%) Power Transformer (+15%) Substation Transformers (8%)” | ||||||||
| Mar 2025 | – | Prices | Pad-mount single-phase distribution transformerSingle-phase pad-mount | US | +18% vs January 2023 (index Jan 23 = 100) | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Transformer Price Change by Specification January 2023 – March 2025 ... Pad Mount 1 Phase (+18%) Pad Mount 3 Phase (+20%) Pole Top (+21%) Power Transformer (+15%) Substation Transformers (8%)” | ||||||||
| Mar 2025 | – | Prices | Substation transformerSubstation transformer | US | +8% vs January 2023 (index Jan 23 = 100) | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Transformer Price Change by Specification January 2023 – March 2025 ... Pad Mount 1 Phase (+18%) Pad Mount 3 Phase (+20%) Pole Top (+21%) Power Transformer (+15%) Substation Transformers (8%)” | ||||||||
| Mar 2025 | – | Prices | Pad-mount three-phase distribution transformerThree-phase pad-mount | US | +20% vs January 2023 (index Jan 23 = 100) | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Transformer Price Change by Specification January 2023 – March 2025 ... Pad Mount 1 Phase (+18%) Pad Mount 3 Phase (+20%) Pole Top (+21%) Power Transformer (+15%) Substation Transformers (8%)” | ||||||||
| Q1 2025 | 147.7 | GSU | Generator step-up (GSU)GSU | US | Average 147.7 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Chart value 147.7 weeks (2025-Q1); see page 5 of the executive summary.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2025 | mo/yr | Pad-mount 3-phase | Pad-mounted distribution transformerPad-mounted | US | Double or triple pre-pandemic lead times | Hitachi Energy (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
“Lead times for pad-mounted distribution transformers “are double or triple” what they were pre-pandemic” | ||||||||
| Q1 2025 | 138.4 | Large power | Power transformerPower transformer (classified by type, not voltage) | US | Average 138.4 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Chart value 138.4 weeks (2025-Q1); see page 5 of the executive summary.” | ||||||||
| Q1 2025 | ≠19.9 | Pad-mount 1-phase | Pad-mount single-phase distribution transformerPad-mounted 1-phase | US | Average 19.9 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Chart value 19.9 weeks (2025-Q1); see page 5 of the executive summary.” | ||||||||
| Q1 2025 | ≠30 | Pad-mount 3-phase | Pad-mount three-phase distribution transformerPad-mounted 3-phase | US | Average 30 weeks after receipt of order (chart value). | Wood Mackenzie | powermag.com | |
“Chart value 30 weeks (2025-Q1); see page 5 of the executive summary.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2025 | mo/yr | All sizes | Transformer (unspecified)Unspecified | US | Up to three years | NEMA (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
““Delivery of a new transformer ordered today could take up to three years,” said National Association of Electrical Manufacturers, or NEMA, Director of Government Relations Peter Ferrell.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2025 | mo/yr | Large power | Transmission-scale power transformerTransmission scale | US | Three to six years | Hitachi Energy (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
““Transmission scale unit lead times are now three years to six years, with specialized transformers taking the longest time,” he added.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2025 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +69.6% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2025-01 = 433.246” | ||||||||
| 2025 | – | Prices | Distribution transformerDistribution (some classes) | US | up to +95% vs 2019 | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“Since 2019, unit prices have increased 77% for power transformers and 45% for GSUs, with some classes of distribution transformers rising as much as 95%.” | ||||||||
| 2025 | – | Prices | Generator step-up (GSU)GSU | US | +45% vs 2019 | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“Since 2019, unit prices have increased 77% for power transformers and 45% for GSUs, with some classes of distribution transformers rising as much as 95%.” | ||||||||
| 2025 | – | Prices | Large power transformerLPT | US | +50–70% vs 2019 | Wood Mackenzie (2025), cited by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (May 2026) | docs.nlr.gov | |
“Costs have also risen sharply, with LPT prices in 2025 roughly 50% to 70% higher than their 2019 baseline (Wood Mackenzie 2025).” | ||||||||
| 2025 | – | Prices | Power transformerPower transformer | US | +77% vs 2019 | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“Since 2019, unit prices have increased 77% for power transformers and 45% for GSUs, with some classes of distribution transformers rising as much as 95%.” | ||||||||
| May 2024 | mo/yr | Large power | Transformers (general)Unspecified | EU | Lead times have doubled (no week figure) | Transformer Technology (quoting Ghent University) | transformer-technology.com | |
“Joannes Laveyne, a research assistant at Ghent University's electrical energy lab, highlights the widespread impact of the shortage, noting that lead times for transformers have doubled, causing delays and price hikes across various industries.” | ||||||||
| May 2024 | mo/yr | All sizes | Transformers (general)Unspecified | global | 1 to 3 years (from 12 to 24 weeks earlier) | Thunder Said Energy | thundersaidenergy.com | |
“Lead times have risen from 12-24 weeks to 1-3 years.” | ||||||||
| Apr 2024 | 115–130 | All sizes | Transformers (average)All sizes | US | Average of 115 to 130 weeks | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“In April, global research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie warned that transformer lead times have continued an upward trajectory and now stand at 115 to 130 weeks—more than two years—on average.” | ||||||||
| Apr 2024 | ≠120–210 | Large power | Substation power and GSULarge | US | 120 to 210 weeks (2.3 to 4 years). Utility Dive reports the same April report as 80 to 120 weeks for larger transformers; NIAC/others cite 80 to 210. | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“Lead times for large transformers, both substation power transformers and generator step-up (GSU) transformers, have surged to 120 to 210 weeks—or 2.3 to 4 years.” | ||||||||
| Apr 2024 | ≠80–120 | Large power | Larger power transformersLarge | US | 80 to 120 weeks, as reported by Utility Dive; conflicts with POWER's 120 to 210 | Wood Mackenzie (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
“Larger transformer lead times range from 80 to 120 weeks, according to a Wood Mackenzie, or WoodMac, April report.” | ||||||||
| Apr 2024 | – | Prices | Transformers (all)All sizes | US | +60–80% vs January 2020 | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“At the same time, depending on the size and application, transformer prices have risen 60% to 80% on average since January 2020, driven upward by raw material commodities.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2024 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerDistribution | US | Up to two years (4x pre-2022) | NREL (via pv magazine USA) | pv-magazine-usa.com | |
“The study found that utilities are experiencing extended lead times for transformers of up to two years (a fourfold increase on pre-2022 lead times) and reporting price increases by as much as four to nine times in the past 3 years.” | ||||||||
| Feb 2024 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Pad-mounted distribution transformerPad-mount (single- and three-phase) | US | As long as two years for single- and three-phase pad-mount units | Latitude Media (ERMCO CEO Tim Mills) | latitudemedia.com | |
“But those pad mount transformers, both single phase and three-phase, still pretty darn long. I’ve seen things as long as two years right now on either.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2024 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +67.8% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2024-01 = 428.635” | ||||||||
| 2024 | 120–210 | All sizes | Transformers (all, procurement)All sizes; largest up to 210 weeks | US | 120 weeks average; largest units up to 210 weeks | NIAC (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
“The report, citing Wood Mackenzie data, says transformer procurement lead times have risen from around 50 weeks in 2021 to 120 weeks on average this year — though for the largest transformers, procurement times can reach 210 weeks.” | ||||||||
| 2024 | – | Prices | Distribution and large power transformersAll | US | +40% vs 2020, inflation-adjusted | Congressional Research Service (BLS data) | everycrsreport.com | |
“The price of transformers has increased sharply since 2020, with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting the prices of both distribution transformers and large power transformers to have risen roughly 40% from 2020 to 2024 (inflation-adjusted).” | ||||||||
| 2024 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerAll voltage classes | US | Over two years (vs three months in 2018) | American Public Power Association | publicpower.org | |
“Lead times to purchase new distribution transformers have grown from three months in 2018 to over two years or more today.” | ||||||||
| 2024 | mo/yr | Large power | Extra-high-voltage large power transformerExtra-high-voltage (EHV) | US | Up to 60 months | US DOE (2024), cited by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (May 2026) | docs.nlr.gov | |
“For the extra-high-voltage transformer units, lead time can extend up to 60 months (U.S. Department of Energy 2024) due to complex engineering requirements, which creates significant risks for project scheduling and grid reliability.” | ||||||||
| 2024 | 143 | GSU | Generator step-up (GSU)GSU | US | Average of 143 weeks | Wood Mackenzie (Ben Boucher, via Reuters) | kitco.com | |
“Generator step-up transformer lead times surpassed 160 weeks by the first quarter of 2026, compared with an average of 143 weeks in 2024, while for high-voltage circuit breakers, they climbed to 125 weeks in the second half of last year, versus 77 weeks in 2023, according to Boucher.” | ||||||||
| Q4 2023 | 120–130 | Large power | Large power transformer and GSULarge power / GSU | US | Average of 120 to 130 weeks | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
“As large developers and utilities increase transformer orders, lead times for large power transformers and generator step-up units have surged to 120–130 weeks on average as of the fourth quarter of 2023, with no signs of relief.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2023 | – | Prices | Power and distribution transformers, except parts (product PPI)All | US | +65% vs January 2020 (index 201.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU3353113353111 index: 2020-01 = 201.5; 2023-01 = 332.505” | ||||||||
| Jan 2023 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +60.7% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2023-01 = 410.561” | ||||||||
| 2023 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerAll voltage classes | US | 12 months or more (vs three months in 2018) | American Public Power Association | publicpower.org | |
“Lead times to purchase new distribution transformers have grown 429 percent, from three months in 2018 to an excess of 12 months or more today.” | ||||||||
| 2023 | mo/yr | Large power | Large power transformerTypical LPT | US | 30 to 36 months from purchase order to receipt (up from 12 to 18 months) | US GAO (2023), cited by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (May 2026) | docs.nlr.gov | |
“However, procurement timelines for new transformers measured from purchase order to receipt have lengthened from 12–18 months to 30–36 months (U.S. Government Accountability Office 2023) for typical LPTs.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2022 | – | Prices | Power and distribution transformers, except parts (product PPI)All | US | +36.8% vs January 2020 (index 201.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU3353113353111 index: 2020-01 = 201.5; 2022-01 = 275.554” | ||||||||
| Jan 2022 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +39.5% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2022-01 = 356.302” | ||||||||
| 2022 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerAll voltage classes | US | About 12 months average; some quotes over three years; +429% vs pre-2021 | American Public Power Association | publicpower.org | |
“Some utilities reported being quoted lead times of more than three years.” | ||||||||
| Jan 2021 | – | Prices | Electric power and specialty transformers (industry PPI)All | US | +2.5% vs January 2020 (index 255.5) | US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via FRED) | fred.stlouisfed.org | |
“PCU335311335311 index: 2020-01 = 255.5; 2021-01 = 262” | ||||||||
| 2021 | 50 | All sizes | Transformers (all, procurement)All sizes | US | Around 50 weeks | Wood Mackenzie data cited in NIAC report (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
“The report, citing Wood Mackenzie data, says transformer procurement lead times have risen from around 50 weeks in 2021 to 120 weeks on average this year — though for the largest transformers, procurement times can reach 210 weeks.” | ||||||||
| 2020 | mo/yr | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerAll voltage classes | US | About two to three months pre-2021 | American Public Power Association | publicpower.org | |
“Meanwhile, between 2020 and 2022, average lead times to procure distribution transformers for all voltage classes rose 429% for public power respondents -- from about two to three months pre-2021 to about 12 months in 2022.” | ||||||||
| 2020 | 4–6 | All sizes | Transformer (unspecified)Unspecified | US | 'Five years ago' relative to Feb 2025; type not specified | NEMA (via Utility Dive) | utilitydive.com | |
““Five years ago, that wait time was four to six weeks.”” | ||||||||
| 2019 | 30–60 | Large power | Power transformer (substation and GSU)Large power / GSU | US | Pre-pandemic range, depending on specifications and size | Wood Mackenzie (via POWER) | powermag.com | |
““For reference, pre-pandemic lead times ranged from 30–60 weeks, depending on specifications/size and if the transformer had been regularly ordered over time with a proven design (therefore allowing the manufacturing process to be streamlined),” the firm noted.” | ||||||||
| 2018 | 12–14 | Distribution, all | Distribution transformerDistribution (single- and three-phase) | US | 12 to 14 weeks from purchase order to delivery | Latitude Media (Catalyst podcast, ERMCO CEO Tim Mills) | latitudemedia.com | |
“They’d pick up the phone or they’d shoot over a PO, and in anywhere from 12 to 14 weeks, that transformer was showing up in their doorstep.” | ||||||||
| 2010 | mo/yr | Large power | Large power transformer>100 MVA (LPT) | US | 5 to 12 months (domestic), 6 to 16 months (foreign); 18 to 24 months in high-demand periods | US DOE (2014 study, via ReliaMag) | reliamag.com | |
“The pre-shortage baseline comes from DOE's 2014 study, drawing on USITC trade-case data: in 2010, the average lead time between an LPT order and delivery ran 5 to 12 months for domestic producers and 6 to 16 months for foreign ones, stretching toward 18 to 24 months in high-demand periods.” | ||||||||
22 readings stated in weeks, 18 in months or years, 20 on prices. ≠ marks a figure that named sources report differently; see conflicts. “As of” is the period the number describes, not the publication date.
Sponsor slot open. Manufacturers and brokers with transformers in stock: put your available units in front of the buyers reading this table. See the slot
Transformer prices
BLS series on FRED +85.9%
US producer prices for electric power and specialty transformers, January 2020 to Sep 2026.
- Jan 2021 +2.5%
- Jan 2022 +39.5%
- Jan 2023 +60.7%
- Jan 2024 +67.8%
- Jan 2025 +69.6%
- Jan 2026 +78.4%
- Sep 2026 +85.9%
Calculated by us from BLS producer price index values for series PCU335311335311 (Electric Power and Specialty Transformer Manufacturing, not seasonally adjusted, via FRED): January 2020 = 255.5, September 2026 = 475.065. Each bar is the change against January 2020. BLS’s narrower product series for power and distribution transformers (PCU3353113353111) ran +36.8% by Jan 2022 and +65% by Jan 2023 before it stopped publishing in February 2023.
By class, from the analysts
- ≠GSUs in Q2 2025: 143 or 144 weeks?
- Wood Mackenzie’s own executive summary says 143 weeks, and its chart label reads 143.4. POWER (Jan 2026) and most secondary sites print 144. We carry 143.4, the publisher’s figure.
- ≠The “30 weeks” for distribution in Q2 2025
- CRS, Giga Energy and VAWN cite 30 weeks for distribution transformers in Q2 2025. Wood Mackenzie’s chart puts three-phase pad-mount at 30.0 weeks in Q1 and 46.4 in Q2, and single-phase at 19.9 then 24.0. Both changes match the quarter-on-quarter deltas the report states (+16.4 and +4.1), so we carry the chart values.
- ≠April 2024: 120–210 or 80–120 weeks?
- POWER reported Wood Mackenzie’s April 2024 range for substation power and GSU units as 120 to 210 weeks. Utility Dive reported the same release as 80 to 120 weeks for larger transformers, and NIAC and others cite 80 to 210. Both readings are on the chart as hollow marks, and neither sits on the line.
- ≠160+ weeks for power transformers?
- VAWN’s index (Aug 2026) reads Wood Mackenzie’s 2026 data as 160+ weeks for power and substation units. The only confirmed 160+ figure is for GSUs, from Wood Mackenzie’s Ben Boucher via Reuters. We plot VAWN’s read as a weak, hollow mark.
New transformer capacity
All 27 manufacturers16 of the 27 manufacturers we track have a verified US plant. 16 have announced new capacity; the figures below are as each source reports them.
| Manufacturer | Announced capacity | US plant |
|---|---|---|
| Central Moloney | New $50M Florida plant (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Eaton | $340M three-phase transformer facility in South Carolina, targeting a 2027 start (POWER, Jan 2026). | Not yet verified |
| ERMCO | $70M-plus investments in Tennessee and Wisconsin (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Hammond Power Solutions | Completed expansions in Mexico and at Guelph, Ontario in 2025 (2025 Annual Report). | US plant verified |
| HD Hyundai Electric | Second Alabama plant (groundbreaking March 2026), due for completion in April 2027, adding about 50% extra-high-voltage transformer capacity with production up to 765 kV (Korea Times, Oct 2026); aiming to raise US production 30% by 2026 (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Hitachi Energy | $1.5B global transformer investment through 2027 (POWER 2024; Utility Dive 2025); $500M in North America through 2027 (Utility Dive 2025); $457M South Boston, Virginia LPT plant, set to be the largest US LPT plant by 2028; $106M Alamo, Tennessee components expansion; CA$270M Varennes, Quebec buildout to nearly triple LPT output (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Howard Industries | $236.95M expansion in Clarke, Jones and Simpson counties, Mississippi, with 450 new jobs (SuperTalk Mississippi, Jun 2025). | US plant verified |
| Hyosung Heavy Industries (Hyosung HICO) | $300M expansion of the Memphis transformer plant (Korea Times, Oct 2026); HVDC transformer plant in Changwon, South Korea, scheduled for completion in 2027 (Wikipedia). | US plant verified |
| LS Electric | $240M across US manufacturing by 2030, including its Utah switchgear plant and a Bastrop, Texas campus; extra-high-voltage transformer sales up 106% in Q3 2026 (Korea Times, Oct 2026). | Not yet verified |
| MGM Transformer | 430,000-square-foot facility in Waco, Texas (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Prolec GE (GE Vernova) | More than $300M across new and expanded sites, including a medium-power plant in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and more pad-mount capacity in Louisiana and Mexico (POWER, Jan 2026); $1B of Prolec GE capex planned for 2026–2028 and $5B of GE Vernova’s equipment backlog (GE Vernova Q3 2026 results). | US plant verified |
| Schneider Electric | Investing hundreds of millions of dollars in capacity expansion (Jeffrey DeSain, GM North American Transformer Business, Utility Dive 2025). | Not yet verified |
| SGB-SMIT Group | Acquired Southwest Electric Co. in the US (Jan 2025); opened the SGB-ALFA factory in Botoșani, Romania (Jul 2026); took a majority stake in COMEL Transformatori (Jul 2026) - headlines on sgb-smit.com. | US plant verified |
| Siemens Energy | $150M Charlotte, North Carolina LPT plant: 57 LPTs per year, 15,000 MVA (POWER 2024); production expected early 2027 (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
| Virginia Transformer Corp | $40M expansion in Georgia to raise output 70% (POWER, Jan 2026); opened a Mexico plant in 2023 for units up to 100 MVA (POWER 2024). | US plant verified |
| WEG | Adding transformer capacity in Missouri (POWER, Jan 2026). | US plant verified |
Transformer shortage questions
How long is the lead time for a power transformer?
Wood Mackenzie’s supplier survey put power transformers at an average of 128 weeks after receipt of order in Q2 2025, down 10 weeks from Q1. Generator step-up units averaged 143 weeks that quarter and passed 160 weeks by Q1 2026 (Wood Mackenzie’s Ben Boucher, via Reuters). DOE’s National Laboratory of the Rockies puts a typical 100 MVA unit at 2.5 to 3 years and extra-high-voltage units at up to 5 years (2026). The largest transmission units take three to six years, according to Hitachi Energy (Feb 2025).
How long does a distribution transformer take?
Pad-mount units averaged 24 weeks for single-phase and 46.4 weeks for three-phase in Q2 2025 (Wood Mackenzie). That is down from peaks of up to two years in 2022–2024 (APPA, NREL). Before 2021 the norm was two to three months (APPA), and ERMCO quoted 12 to 14 weeks in 2018.
Why is there a transformer shortage?
Demand outran factory capacity. Since 2019, power transformer demand is up 119% and GSU demand up 274%, and Wood Mackenzie models a 2025 shortfall of 30% for power transformers and 10% for distribution units (POWER, Jan 2026). Data centers, renewables and grid replacement all draw on the same plants, and imports supply roughly 80% of the large power transformers the US uses (National Laboratory of the Rockies, DOE, May 2026).
How much have transformer prices risen?
Who is building new US transformer capacity?
Hitachi Energy is building a $457M large power transformer plant in South Boston, Virginia. Siemens Energy’s $150M Charlotte plant expects production in early 2027. Eaton is putting $340M into a three-phase plant in South Carolina, Virginia Transformer $40M into Georgia, ERMCO $70M-plus into Tennessee and Wisconsin, and Central Moloney $50M into a Florida plant (all via POWER, Jan 2026). Hyosung is putting $300M into its Memphis plant, and HD Hyundai Electric’s second Alabama plant adds about 50% more extra-high-voltage capacity from April 2027 (Korea Times, Oct 2026). All 27 manufacturers
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Data and fieldsThe full dataset is open under CC BY 4.0. Use it in reports, decks, models and articles; credit Transformer Lead Times and link transformerleadtimes.com. Every row keeps its publisher, verbatim quote and access date, so you can cite the original too.
Transformer Lead Times (2026). Transformer lead times: dated, sourced observations, 2010–2026. Retrieved 9 Nov 2026, from https://transformerleadtimes.com/ (CC BY 4.0)