[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong] Large U.S. data center operators are expanding the adoption of fuel cells to secure electricity needed to scale artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. With grid connections taking years, they are moving to build on-site generation facilities to bring forward the timing of power supply. Forecasts also say related investment could reach $30 billion in 2030.

Bloomberg reported on Oct. 23 that energy research firm Rystad Energy expected fuel-cell investment for data centers to rise from $2.8 billion in 2025 to about $30 billion in 2030. Rystad Energy estimated that connecting large power demand to the grid in the United States could take 3 to 6 years.

AI data centers must run computing equipment and cooling systems 24 hours a day, making stable, large-scale electricity essential. Fuel cells convert chemical energy such as natural gas or hydrogen into electricity, and their strength is that they can generate power directly on site.

Bloom Energy, cited as a major beneficiary, posted third-quarter revenue of $1.24 billion, up 138 percent from a year earlier. Net profit was $250.3 million, swinging to a profit from a net loss of $23.1 million a year earlier. The company raised its 2026 revenue forecast to $4.4 billion to $4.6 billion.

KR Sridhar (KR 스리다르), Bloom Energy's chief executive officer, said the company began supplying power at a site in Utah in less than two months after announcing its first project with Oracle. He also said the Nevius project in New Jersey received approvals related to fuel cells within three months of signing the contract.

Oracle plans to procure Bloom Energy's fuel-cell systems at a scale of up to 2.8 gigawatts (GW), of which 1.2 GW has already been contracted. Rystad Energy estimated the industry's order backlog, including Oracle, AEP, Equinix and Brookfield, at about 9 GW. It added that a framework agreement does not mean a firm order for the full capacity.

Rival FuelCell Energy is also pushing to expand its data center business. Chief executive Jason Few said that not only electricity costs but also the time it takes to supply power has become important. The company forecast that within 2 to 3 years, data centers and related business would account for 75 to 85 percent of its overall business, from 25 to 30 percent now.

Still, there are practical constraints on market growth. Rystad Energy expected annual fuel-cell production capacity to expand from about 1.8 GW now to 4 GW in 2030. But large projects are affected not only by equipment supply but also by site preparation, permitting, gas connections and the construction of power facilities.

Fuel cells are expected to be used as a way to complement grid power and bring forward data center operations, rather than fully replace the grid. An analysis said the pace of future market expansion depends on whether suppliers can deliver equipment on time at competitive costs, and whether developers can build projects and secure fuel reliably.