Feb 11 (Reuters) - NiSource ( NI ) narrowly beat Wall

Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday,

while reaffirming its 2026 earnings forecast and a robust

capital spending roadmap to meet rising commercial ​power demand,

including from artificial intelligence-focused data centers.

Massive ‌demand from such data centers is expected to push

power consumption to record ⁠highs in 2026, according to the U.S.

Energy Information Administration.

In October, ⁠the U.S. electric and gas utility had ‌unveiled

plans for about $28 ‌billion in capital expenditure through 2030,

including roughly $7 billion for data center-related

infrastructure.

"Our pipeline ​of opportunities remains robust, positioning

us ‌for continued growth," said CEO Lloyd Yates.

NiSource ( NI ) expects adjusted earnings per share of $2.02 to

$2.07 in 2026.

Meanwhile, ​the Merrillville, Indiana-based company reported

profit ​per share ‌of 51 cents for the quarter ended December 31,

narrowly beating analysts' average estimate of 50 cents,

according to data ⁠compiled by LSEG.

It also beat profit estimates for 2025, ⁠with full-year net

income rising to $905.2 million, or $1.90 per share, from $798.6

million, or $1.75 per share, a year earlier. Analysts had

expected net income of $1.88 per share.

"It's been a strong year, highlighted ⁠by ‌delivering a

landmark data center agreement with Amazon ( AMZN ) and ‌a novel solution

that flows back more than $1 billion in savings ⁠to retail

customers in a differentiated and impactful way," Yates said.

The Amazon ( AMZN ) deal, signed in November 2025,

strengthens demand visibility for NiSource ( NI ) as utilities prepare

themselves to field massive AI and cloud computing power needs.

NiSource ( NI ) has also been investing in grid modernization and

infrastructure upgrades, aiming to ​expand its regulated rate

base.

The company serves 3.3 million natural gas customers across

six states through its Columbia Gas division and ​500,000

electricity customers in Indiana through ‌its NIPSCO unit.