Onsite Generation Expected to Fully Power 27% of Data Center Facilities by 2030
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Bloom Energy ’s Mid-Year Power Report reveals boom in onsite power to fuel AI amid grid constraints - Data center developers’ estimate of up to 2 years for grid power access is unrealistic in key markets
- Access to power is the leading factor in data center site selection, key to gaining a competitive advantage
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Figure 1: In key data center markets, there is likely to be a 1-2 year gap in expected grid power between utilities and data center developers
Today’s mid-year update shows that securing electricity for data centers is likely to take much longer than anticipated, and that power availability is now the leading factor in site selection. The report offers a timely lens into what matters most to the leaders shaping the future of the AI industry in America, including:
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Data center developers are underestimating time to power: Utility providers report significantly longer timelines to deliver power in key
U.S. markets, up to 2 years longer than what hyperscalers and colocation providers expect. - Power access is a leading factor in data center site selection: 84% of respondents ranked availability of power among their top three considerations.
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Onsite power is increasingly critical: In 2030, 38% of facilities are expected to use some onsite generation for primary power, up from 13% a year ago. Notably, 27% of facilities expect to be fully powered by onsite generation by 2030, a 27x increase from just 1% last year. - AI is driving larger, more power-intensive data centers: The median data center size is expected to grow by nearly 115%, from approximately 175 MW today to about 375 MW over the next 10 years.
- Reducing carbon emissions is a lower but lasting priority: 95% of those surveyed affirmed that sustainability and carbon reduction targets are still in place, even if the path to achieving those goals may not be linear.
"Decisions around where data centers get built have shifted dramatically over the last six months, with access to power now playing the most significant role in location scouting," said
According to the survey, operators are looking beyond legacy power generation to solutions that offer fast deployment timelines, low emissions, and the ability to handle intense and fluctuating AI workloads, all while meeting the industry’s uncompromising reliability standards and cost requirements.
The latest report is based on data collected from
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Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or the negative of these words or similar terms or expressions that concern Bloom’s expectations, strategy, priorities, plans, or intentions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding the growth of onsite power generation and the role of power availability and accessibility in data center growth and location choice. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties detailed in Bloom’s
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