Large power transformers (100 MVA), 2026: National Laboratory of the Rockies (DOE)
DOE’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL) puts a typical 100 MVA large power transformer at 2.5 to 3 years from order and extra-high-voltage units at up to 5 years, with prices up about 80% since 2021.
+80% Large power · May 2026 · US
“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.”
The record
Field definitions- Class on the chart
- Large power and substation transformers
- Transformer type
- Large power transformer
- Size / class
- Typical LPT (100 MVA); extra-high-voltage up to 5 years
- Region
- US
- As of
- 2026-05
- Lead time as stated
- Approximately 2.5 to 3 years for a typical 100 MVA unit; up to 5 years for extra-high-voltage units
- Price change
- 80%
- Price baseline
- 2025 prices vs the flat 2014–2021 level (BLS PPI, per the report)
- Publisher
- National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), US DOE
- Original source
- NLR/TP-5700-96742, Large Power Transformer Supply Chain Gap Analysis and Domestic Content Strategies for Hydropower Rehabilitation (May 2026)
- Source type
- government-lab
- Verified
Sources
- US Hydropower Faces Supply Chain Challenges With Large Power Transformers (NLR, 16 Jul 2026) accessed 2026-11-09
- Large Power Transformer Supply Chain Gap Analysis and Domestic Content Strategies for Hydropower Rehabilitation: Supplemental Report (NLR/TP-5700-96742, May 2026) accessed 2026-11-09
- U.S. power grid key equipment 'transformer' in short supply (Digital Today, 21 Jul 2026) accessed 2026-11-09
Cite this reading
National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), US DOE, as compiled by Transformer Lead Times: “Large power transformers (100 MVA), 2026: National Laboratory of the Rockies (DOE)”. https://transformerleadtimes.com/nlr-lpt-hydro-2026/ (accessed 9 Nov 2026).
CC BY 4.0. Quote the original publisher; link this page for the dated record.
Other large power readings
Filter the table| As of | Reading | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 160+ weeks Power / substation transformer | VAWN (aggregating Wood Mackenzie) |
| Jul 2026 | Pushing past three years Large substation transformer | Reuters (Roseville Electric CEO Dan Beans) |
| May 2026 | +80% High-capacity power transformer | PwC analysts (via pv magazine, citing Reuters Events) |
| May 2026 | 200+ weeks Large power transformer | Transformer Technology (citing Northfield Transformers) |
| Feb 2026 | +79% Large power transformer | BloombergNEF (via pv magazine) |
| Q2 2025 | 128 weeks Power transformer | Wood Mackenzie |
| Q1 2025 | 138.4 weeks Power transformer | Wood Mackenzie |
| Feb 2025 | Three to six years Transmission-scale power transformer | Hitachi Energy (via Utility Dive) |