U.S. electric utilities sounded bullish on demand from data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom after striking several supply deals during the second quarter, reinforcing market expectations of sales growth through the year. Top utilities, including American Electric Power and NextEra Energy, signed contracts in the recently concluded quarter while others highlighted interest from technology companies. "We started to get some clarity about data center opportunities and the numbers are staggering," said Timothy Winter, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds.