Why Big Tech's AI Data Centers Are Turning to Bloom Energy for Power

Artificial intelligence data centers are being built faster than the utility power can expand its power-production capacity.

Many data center owners/operators are solving this power shortage problem by producing their own power.

Fuel cells like those offered by Bloom Energy don’t impose the downsides of most onsite power-generation options in use today.

It's certainly no secret that artificial intelligence data centers are popping up everywhere, with plenty more left to build. In fact, real estate management firm JLL predicts that AI data centers will collectively need 200 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, up from just over 100 gigawatts today.

And it's fitting that this growth outlook is measured in power rather than footprint, since that's the bigger bottleneck now and for the foreseeable future. Utility companies just aren't ready to deliver the electricity that the artificial intelligence infrastructure industry increasingly needs.

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Fortunately, there's a smart solution that's moving away from the fringes and into the mainstream. That's hydrogen fuel cell technology, like that offered by Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) .

Simply put, fuel cells turn hydrogen into electricity by passing it through an electrolyte membrane that separates negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons. No moving parts are needed, and the only output is heat and water. Although initially used for smaller equipment, larger-scale systems can now be used to power buildings, and yes, artificial intelligence data centers.