Feb 17 (Reuters) - Utility DTE Energy DTE.N beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, benefiting from higher power demand as requirement from data centers continues to grow.

The technology industry's AI data centers, combined with the accelerating electrification of homes and businesses, were expected to push U.S. power demand to record levels in 2025 and 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Last year, the utility raised its five-year capital investment plan by $6.5 billion to $36.5 billion on the back of this estimated demand.

The utility said it negotiated its first hyperscale data center contracts in the quarter to provide 1.4 gigawatts of load to power Oracle's ORCL.N new data center in Saline Township, Michigan, which is approved by the state regulator.

By bringing in Oracle into the system, DTE said it can spread fixed costs more broadly and provide affordability benefits for existing customers.

Quarterly adjusted profit from its electric segment was at $211 million, up 8.2% from a year earlier, while gas segment was up 16.3% at $121 million.

DTE Energy serves 2.3 million electric customers in Southeast Michigan and 1.3 million natural gas customers across the state.

The Detroit, Michigan-based utility reported an adjusted profit of $1.65 per share for the quarter ended December 31, compared with analysts' average estimate of $1.52 per share according to data compiled by LSEG.