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Big Tech turns to fuel cells to power AI computing centers

Fuel cells can generate electricity without combustion and run on hydrogen, natural gas, or biogas, positioning them as a faster, lower-emissions option as power grids face congestion from data center demand.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy Transition

Big technology companies are increasingly contracting fuel cell power solutions to support data and AI computing centers, seeking cleaner and quicker-to-deploy electricity compared with conventional gas-fired power generation, according to OilPrice.

Fuel cells produce electricity by converting chemical energy directly into electricity without combustion, and can use multiple fuel inputs, including hydrogen, natural gas, and biogas.

OilPrice reports that as power demand rises with the AI boom, utilities and grids face congestion, which could make distributed generation more attractive, including for locations where building a new gas power plant would take longer.

Goldman Sachs Research, cited by OilPrice, said fuel cells could enable companies to bring on a low-carbon-emissions electricity source relatively quickly, and the firm called power demand growth from data centers a major incremental use for energy since the industrial revolution.

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