Bloom Energy

Recent news

• Jun 15, 2026

  APAC data centres risk a fossil fuel dependency long-duration energy storage can help end

  Pavina Adunratanasee of ArkTerra Partners argues APAC’s AI data centre buildout risks locking the region into long-term coal and gas dependency without long-duration energy storage solutions.

  • Main announcement/argument: ArkTerra Partners warns that 24.2GW of announced data centre capacity (2025–2030) across nine APAC markets could drive ~166 million tonnes CO2e/year by 2030 on a business-as-usual grid; cites hyperscaler commitments including Microsoft’s A$25 billion (US$18 billion) pledge to Australia through 2029 and Amazon’s A$20 billion commitment, and highlights recent deals (Meta–Noon: up to 1GW/100GWh with a 25MW pilot by 2028; Bloom–Oracle: up to 2.8GW on-site fuel cells with 1.2GW deployed; Google–Voltus: 100MW BYOC VPP over three years).
  • Background and concrete constraints: Points to regulatory and resource risks (Johor state deferring water-cooled approvals until mid-2027; ~9GW AI-ready capacity with legacy cooling could use ~18 billion litres/year), explains that gas peakers (~US$30/MWh marginal cost) and long coal retirements extend fossil lock-in, and concludes the core barrier is a project development capital gap at pre-feasibility for first-of-a-kind storage projects.
• Jun 9, 2026

  Hydrogen’s Hurdles, Fuel Cells’ Rise in Data Center Power

  DataCenterKnowledge publishes a final installment reviewing less-mature or emerging alternatives to diesel generators for data center backup power, focusing on hydrogen backup, fuel cells, and renewable fuels.

  • Main coverage: The article assesses hydrogen engines and fuel cells and renewable diesel as diesel alternatives, noting concrete deployments and pilots: NorthC Datacenters ordered six Jenbacher hydrogen engines in the Netherlands (dual-gas for short hydrogen outages), Microsoft piloted a 3 MW hydrogen fuel cell in Latham, NY, and Bloom Energy signed a $5 billion strategic partnership with Brookfield to accelerate fuel cell capacity. It highlights the Dutch ~300 km national hydrogen network repurposed from natural gas pipelines and Microsoft’s prior 2030 diesel elimination pledge as context.
  • Background & policy details: The piece notes regulatory movement with the US EPA removing proposed hydrogen co-firing mandates from its NSPS (earlier draft had ramped to 96% by 2038), cites cost and infrastructure constraints for hydrogen (production, transport, storage, permitting), and points out that fuel cells running on natural gas/biogas are identified as the most likely near-term scalable solution for behind-the-meter AI power needs.
• May 18, 2026

  From Backup to Prime Power: How AI Data Centers Are Bypassing the Grid

  Data center developers and suppliers are increasingly adopting onsite prime power generation and expanded backup generator deployments to bypass grid connection delays.

  • Main action: Data center operators and developers are pursuing on-site prime power (backup generators and engine power plants) to bypass grid congestion and accelerate time-to-power; analysts project more than 35 GW of data center power is likely to be self-generated by 2030 (Omdia), and 27% of data centers are expected to rely entirely on onsite generation for primary power by 2030 (Bloom Energy survey). Key names: Omdia, Wärtsilä Energy, Rolls-Royce, Cummins, Applied Digital; concrete project detail: Wärtsilä supplying 282 MW via 15 × 18V50SG engines for a new Ohio data center.
  • Background and specifics: Grid constraints drive the shift—LBNL projects data centers will account for 12% of U.S. electricity demand by 2028; equipment and supplier responses include Rolls-Royce investing $75 million (Aiken, SC mtu Series 4000 production) plus $24 million expansion in Mankato, MN, Cummins’ containerized Centum Force offering, and deployment of synchronous clutches (SSS Clutch Company) to enable ancillary grid services and improve generator economics.
• Apr 29, 2026

  Oracle’s Project Jupiter Ditches Gas Turbines for Bloom Fuel Cells

  Oracle will replace planned gas turbines and diesel backup with a fuel-cell-based microgrid for its Project Jupiter AI data center campus in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

  • Main announcement: Oracle has revised Project Jupiter to a single fuel-cell and storage microgrid sized to accommodate up to 2.45 GW of on-site capacity, eliminating combustion and using minimal water with closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling; Oracle says this design cuts nitrogen oxide emissions by roughly 92%. The campus spans ~1,400 acres with four hyperscale buildings and has been described as a long-term investment that could reach up to $165 billion, projecting ~4,000 construction jobs and ~1,500 ongoing roles; Oracle also has an agreement with Bloom Energy spanning up to 2.8 GW of capacity (including 1.2 GW already under contract).

  • Background and implementation details: Earlier plans included gas turbines and diesel generators but the current design removes those in favor of fuel cells and battery storage; Oracle expects to spend about $50 billion on AI infrastructure this fiscal year. Article notes typical operator practice is to deploy a limited microgrid first and plan to connect to the grid within two to three years, and highlights engineering challenges such as protection coordination, fuel-cell limitations for variable loads, and the need to size for peaks or pair with batteries.

• Apr 28, 2026

  Environmental groups file protest against pipeline to power Project Jupiter

  Environmental groups filed a protest with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against Transwestern Pipeline Companies’ effort to fast-track the 17-mile, $60.2 million Green Chile Pipeline to supply natural gas to Project Jupiter’s power plant.

  • Main action: Environmental groups (including the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter) have filed a protest with FERC asking that Transwestern Pipeline not be allowed to begin construction under a FERC “Blanket Certificate” and instead that a full environmental review be completed. The pipeline is a 17-mile, $60.2 million project intended to transfer gas from an existing El Paso Natural Gas pipeline to Project Jupiter’s power plant in Southern Doña Ana County. The New Mexico State Land Commissioner denied Transwestern permission to build on state land in March, forcing a reroute.
  • Background and details: Transwestern/ Energy Transfer documents submitted to FERC state the project “is not expected to have a significant adverse impact on the quality of human health, the environment, or affected landowners.” Protesters, represented by environmental lawyer David Baake, contend the Project Jupiter power plant would be the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in New Mexico and raise air quality and Clean Air Act compliance concerns. The New Mexico Environment Department has until July 21 to conduct a full environmental review and has committed to hold public hearings (dates TBA). Oracle, BorderPlex, and Bloom Energy announced an updated plan using fuel cell technology to power the AI data center, per a press release.
• Apr 20, 2026

  BYOP Moves to the Center of Data Center Strategy

  Data Center Frontier analyzes the growing adoption of “bring your own power” (BYOP) strategies by data center developers and hyperscalers.

  • Main finding: BYOP (onsite natural gas, modular fuel cells, co-located plants, and future advanced nuclear) is being adopted to accelerate energization, reduce grid-related costs, and close the time-to-power gap; modeling from Camus, Encoord, and Princeton’s ZERO Lab suggests a 500 MW data center using a hybrid approach could reach full operation 3–5 years faster and reduce grid-related costs by roughly $78 million per GW.
  • Context and examples: Live projects and corporate moves illustrate implementation: Crusoe + Engine No. 1 JV expected to draw on roughly 4.5 GW; Crusoe ordered 29 LM2500XPRESS units (~1 GW); Meta El Paso includes 366 MW behind-the-meter gas; xAI received approval for 41 turbines (1.2 GW) in Mississippi. The article documents permitting, equipment orders, turbine backlog pressures (GE Vernova ~80 GW backlog), and regulatory/community scrutiny (El Paso, Memphis/Southaven, PJM).
• Apr 17, 2026

  AI Infrastructure Brief: Power, Capital, and the Feeling That Something Is Tightening

  Matt Vincent (Data Center Frontier) summarized the week’s announcements showing an accelerating AI data-center buildout paired with mounting power and coordination constraints.

  • Main observation: The industry is prioritizing power and speed: major deals and project announcements include Bloom Energy and Oracle planning up to 2.8 GW of deployment, Aligned Data Centers breaking ground on a 540 MW Project Caprock, an EdgeConneX affiliate proposing a 430 MW natural gas plant in New Albany, Ohio, proposals for 2 GW in New Mexico and 1.2 GW in Irwin County, Georgia, and Microsoft expanding datacenter operations in Cheyenne. The Maine legislature passed a temporary, exemption-inclusive ban on data centers, signaling emerging social-license constraints.
  • Capital and implementation details: Financial moves include Switch raising $768 million via ABS, Fluidstack reported in talks for a $1 billion round at an $18 billion valuation, and Jane Street signing a $6 billion AI cloud agreement with CoreWeave; CoreWeave also expanded a multi-year relationship with Anthropic. Utilities are signing long-term power agreements (e.g., NiSource with Alphabet and expanded ties with Amazon). AWS has launched “Project Houdini” to accelerate construction timelines. All items are factual recaps of announcements and reports from the week (no speculative outcomes included).
• Apr 15, 2026

  Why Data Centers Produce Their Own Power

  Leading hyperscalers met at the White House in early March and pledged to shoulder the electricity generation costs associated with expanding cloud and AI data centers by agreeing to the nonbinding Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

  • Main announcement: Hyperscalers met with the White House in early March and agreed to a nonbinding Ratepayer Protection Pledge to shoulder on-site electricity generation costs tied to expanding cloud and AI data centers; the meeting is presented as a formal pledge rather than a legally binding contract.
  • Background and details:Grid interconnection delays are a key driver: a Bloom Energy survey found time-to-power now runs roughly 1.5 to 2 years longer than previously expected; Wood Mackenzie estimated turbine lead times reached 243 weeks (Q2 2025). Operators are accelerating behind-the-meter (BTM) strategies including fuel cells, hybrid renewables with batteries, microgrids (Pure DC’s 110 MW Dublin microgrid), and gas turbines; regulators, utilities, and projects like EPRI’s Flex MOSAIC (65+ organizations) are shaping coordination and classification efforts.
• Apr 14, 2026

  AI Data Center Moratorium: Balancing Energy, Community, and Growth Risks

  Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have proposed a federal moratorium on new AI data centers until national safeguards covering environmental, energy, labor and civil liberties are established.

  • Main action: The sponsors introduced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act calling for federal pause on new AI data center builds until protections on environmental impact, energy consumption, labor, and civil liberties are implemented; the bill text is published by Sanders’ office and framed as a national safeguard mechanism.
  • Context and details: Local and state actions include a recently approved temporary ban in Maine and at least 36 US data center projects delayed or blocked between May 2024 and June 2025 (disrupting an estimated $162 billion in investment per Data Center Watch); industry responses include Microsoft’s Community-First AI Plan, vendor reports (Bloom Energy: a third of hyperscalers/colocation providers plan fully self-powered campuses by 2030), and vendor/CEO commentary (GridCare, Pado AI) on grid utilization, behind-the-meter power, and SMRs.
• Apr 14, 2026

  Oracle to deploy Bloom Energy systems to support AI infrastructure

  Oracle has entered a new agreement with Bloom Energy to secure up to 2.8GW of fuel cell capacity for its AI and cloud infrastructure.

  • Main action: Oracle has agreed to procure up to 2.8GW of on-site fuel cell capacity from Bloom Energy, with an initial contracted order of 1.2GW already being deployed across the US; installation is expected to continue into next year.
  • Background and details: The supply will be delivered under a master services arrangement that builds on a prior distributed power partnership; Bloom’s platform supports on-site generation that can respond to rapid demand shifts and is designed to match emerging standards such as 800VDC. Bloom issued a warrant to Oracle on 9 April under terms first announced on 30 October 2025.
• Apr 14, 2026

  Negotiations over data center legislation have yet to ramp up as environmental groups cite favorable poll

  The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released polling showing strong public support for the POWER Act and urged lawmakers to pass SB4016/HB5513 to increase transparency and regulate data centers.

  • Main announcement: The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released survey results showing 70% of Illinois residents support tighter regulation of data centers (rising to 75% after provisions are explained). The House sponsor, State Rep. and House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel (Evanston), says SB4016/HB5513 would require sunshine on community benefit agreements; negotiations have yet to move much beyond committee hearing testimony.
  • Background and provisions: The POWER Act would require disclosure of water use, assessment of cooling alternatives, mandated high-efficiency systems, and review of applications by the Illinois State Water Survey; it would create an industry-funded public benefits and affordability fund for energy bill assistance, home efficiency upgrades, and air quality monitoring. Related proposals include Republican SB4004 (Chapin Rose) barring use of the Mahomet Aquifer, and Gov. JB Pritzker called for a two-year pause on new data center tax credits in February. The article cites industry figures: ~115,000 jobs, $20 billion added to Illinois GDP (2023), $1.8 billion in state and local property taxes (2023), and $15 billion in state incentive-driven investment (2024).
• Mar 16, 2026

  The Frog Is Dead: North America’s Power Grid Faces Its Biggest Reckoning in a Generation

  S&P Global Energy warned that North American power demand is accelerating—driven in large part by a surge in data center development—creating a near-term supply crisis that will require rapid investment, permitting, and technology shifts.

  • Main announcement/action:S&P Global Energy projects much higher near-term electricity demand (now 2.5–3%+ annual growth vs. prior <1%), reports 43 GW of U.S. gas turbine orders in 2025, highlights multi-year turbine backlogs (up to ~5 years), and flags regional investment flows (largest 2025 turbine share to MISO, SPP, and the southeastern U.S.). The firm also called out data center clusters in Columbus, Ohio with new facilities hitting the grid within 3–4 years, and recommends watching natural-gas fuel cells and a wave of IPOs in 2026 for geothermal, SMRs, and distributed generation.
  • Background and supporting details:Nuclear has bipartisan support but needs project financing and DOE support (DOE pledged a billion-dollar loan commitment for the Crane Energy Center/Three Mile Island restart); S&P identifies >5 GW of potential nuclear uprates with 1–2 GW announced; M&A valuation comparators cited were ~$800/kW (acquired plants 18–24 months ago), $1,500/kW (new-build then), and ~$2,400/kW (current acquisition costs); recent infrastructure transaction cited: $11 billion take-private deal involving GIP, EQT, Qatar Investment Authority, and AES.

  Event: Global Power Markets Conference

  • Date: April 13–15, 2026
  • Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Agenda/subject: Global power market trends including grid investment, generation mix, storage, and policy (hosted by S&P Global Energy)
• Mar 13, 2026

  The Gigawatt Bottleneck: Power Constraints Define AI Data Center Growth

  Bloom Energy has released the 2026 Data Center Power Report finding electricity availability has become a defining boundary on data center expansion.

  • Main announcement: The Bloom Energy 2026 Data Center Power Report concludes electricity availability is now a primary constraint for data center growth; it projects U.S. IT load could rise from ~80 GW (2025) to ~150 GW (2028), and highlights major grid forecast revisions such as ERCOT increasing its 2030 data center demand projection from 29 GW to 77 GW and a possible statewide peak of 218 GW by 2031. The report also states roughly one-third of U.S. data centers may rely entirely on onsite power by 2030 and that ~20% of campuses could exceed 1 GW by 2030, rising to nearly 1 in 3 by 2035.
  • Background and details: The analysis is based on surveys of hyperscalers, colocation providers, utilities, and equipment suppliers through 2025 and documents operational shifts: Texas may exceed 40 GW by 2028 (nearly 30% national share); Georgia market share projected +75% while several legacy markets could lose >50% relative share; utilities and developers show a 1–2 year expectation gap on “time to power”; >70% of developers are evaluating onsite power providers; by 2028, 60% expect higher-voltage busways and 45% expect DC architectures.
• Mar 5, 2026

  Hyperscalers Sign White House Pledge to Fund Data Center Power, Grid Upgrades

  The White House convened seven major AI/hyperscaler companies on March 4 to sign the non‑regulatory Ratepayer Protection Pledge committing to fund new generation capacity and pay for required grid upgrades so costs are not passed to residential or commercial ratepayers.

  • Main announcement (signatories & commitments): The pledge was signed on March 4, 2026 by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI, committing to build, bring, or buy new generation resources and cover the cost of all power delivery infrastructure upgrades required for their data centers; companies also agree to pay for contracted power and infrastructure whether or not they ultimately consume the electricity. The White House framed the effort as a policy response to AI-driven load growth and stated companies will negotiate separate rate structures with utilities and state governments to isolate costs from existing ratepayers.
  • Background & implementation details: The article cites EPRI projections (U.S. data center demand ~177–192 TWh in 2024, rising to 9–17% of national demand by 2030, up to 793 TWh in a high scenario). It documents specific company actions and figures: Google >7,800 MW contracted in Texas and a $4.75 billion Intersect Power acquisition pending; Microsoft contracted 7.9 GW in MISO; Amazon-related deals cited ~$1 billion projected customer savings (Indiana) and a $300 million Entergy transformation (Mississippi); OpenAI’s Stargate aims for 10 GW U.S. AI compute by 2029 and committed $175 million for local infrastructure in Wisconsin. The notes also record that the pledge is non‑binding and the White House disclosure does not specify independent auditing, penalties, or a defined enforcement methodology.