Top 10 US & Europe SOFC Deployments: Fuel Cell Energy $160 M PPA, Equinix 100 MW Deal (2025-2026)

An unprecedented surge in power demand from artificial intelligence and data centers is forcing a fundamental shift toward behind-the-meter (BTM) generation, with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) emerging as the critical enabling technology. Faced with multi-year grid interconnection queues, utilities and hyperscalers are rapidly deploying SOFCs for reliable, scalable power. This is underscored by the $7.65 billion in binding agreements for fuel cells to power AI data centers secured between October 2025 and January 2026 alone. The dominant theme for 2025 and 2026 is “Bring Your Own Power” (BYOP), where large consumers bypass traditional grid expansion timelines by deploying on-site generation, transforming the energy landscape.

1. American Electric Power (AEP)

Company: American Electric Power (AEP)
Capacity/Value: Strategic initiative to deploy and operate BTM assets
Application: BTM generation solutions to manage grid strain from industrial loads like data centers
Source: Why Data Centers Are Ditching the Grid Instead of Waiting 7 Years …

2. National Grid

Company: National Grid
Capacity/Value: Pilot project with a $2 million NYSERDA award
Application: World’s first 100% green hydrogen-fueled commercial linear generator for zero-carbon firm power
Source: National Grid Ventures to Install World’s First 100 Percent Hydrogen …

3. Equinix

Company: Equinix
Capacity/Value: Over 100 MW of SOFC capacity
Application: BTM baseload power for 19 U.S. data centers, in partnership with Bloom Energy
Source: Powering Data Centers | Megawatts to Megabytes – Orrick

4. Unnamed Major U.S. Utility

Company: Unnamed Major U.S. Utility (via Fuel Cell Energy)
Capacity/Value: $160 million Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
Application: Front-of-the-meter fuel cell platforms for baseload power and grid stability in Connecticut
Source: Fuel Cell Energy Announces $160 Million Contract to Support …

5. Gasunie

Company: Gasunie
Capacity/Value: National hydrogen network project (H 2 CAST)
Application: Developing underground hydrogen storage and pipeline infrastructure to enable future fuel cell deployment
Source: Plug Advances Underground Hydrogen Storage Across Europe with …

6. So Cal Gas

Company: So Cal Gas
Capacity/Value: Hydrogen blending test program
Application: Testing hydrogen blending in its existing residential and commercial natural gas distribution system
Source: So Cal Gas Among First in the Nation to Test Hydrogen Blending in …

7. Essential Utilities

Company: Essential Utilities
Capacity/Value: Partnership with WATT Fuel Cell
Application: Deployment of solid oxide fuel cell systems for utility operations, potentially for water treatment plants
Source: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Market Report 2025 – Marketsand Markets

8. Iberdrola

Company: Iberdrola
Capacity/Value: 13 MW of installed fuel cell capacity
Application: Integrated component of a global renewable generation portfolio for grid balancing or industrial power
Source: [PDF] IBERDROLA Integrated Report march 2025

9. Equinor

Company: Equinor
Capacity/Value: Ten-year natural gas supply agreement with BASF
Application: Securing natural gas feedstock, foundational for current fuel cell operations and future blue hydrogen production
Source: BASF and Equinor confirm strategic partnership and sign ten-year …

10. Dominion Energy

Company: Dominion Energy
Capacity/Value: Manages grid for region with 13% of global data center capacity
Application: Facilitating interconnections and hybrid power models for BTM fuel cell projects in a power-constrained region
Source: Power Hungry: AI-Fueled Data Center Boom Sets Energy – ENR

Table: Top Utility and Utility-Scale Fuel Cell Deployments 2025-2026

SOFC Applications, Fuel Cell Energy’s $160 M Grid Support Deal

The diversity of applications highlights the expanding role of fuel cells across the energy value chain. The most prominent driver is providing clean, reliable BTM power for data centers, as seen with Equinix‘s 100 MW deployment with Bloom Energy. This “Bring Your Own Power” model directly addresses grid capacity shortfalls. Simultaneously, fuel cells are proving their worth in front-of-the-meter, utility-grade applications. The $160 million PPA secured by Fuel Cell Energy to support the Connecticut grid demonstrates their value for providing continuous, dispatchable power that complements intermittent renewables. Furthermore, proactive utilities like AEP and Essential Utilities are integrating fuel cells into their strategic planning, viewing them not as a threat but as a tool to enhance resilience and capture new revenue streams from on-site generation.

US vs. Europe SOFC Strategy, National Grid’s Hydrogen Pilot

A distinct geographical divergence in strategy is apparent. The U.S. market, driven by the immediate power crisis in data center hubs like the one in Dominion Energy‘s territory, is focused on rapid, large-scale SOFC deployment using currently available natural gas. In contrast, European entities are largely pursuing a foundational, long-term strategy. Companies like Gasunie in the Netherlands are focused on building the “pre-requisite” infrastructure—hydrogen pipelines and storage—that will enable widespread fuel cell adoption in the future. Iberdrola‘s disclosure of 13 MW of existing capacity shows fuel cells are already part of large renewable portfolios, but the primary focus is on infrastructure. The National Grid pilot in New York represents a hybrid approach, using a hydrogen-fueled generator to prove the technology’s viability within existing utility assets, bridging the gap between immediate deployment and a future hydrogen economy.

Bloom Energy’s $5 B Partnership, SOFC Commercialization (2025-2026)

Recent large-scale financial commitments signal that SOFC technology has reached commercial maturity and is now considered a bankable asset class. The landmark $5 billion strategic partnership between Brookfield and Bloom Energy to finance SOFC deployments for data centers is the most telling indicator. This moves the market beyond single-project deals and into portfolio-level financing, which is essential for scaling to meet AI-driven demand. This financial maturation is reinforced by massive procurement deals, such as Oracle‘s agreement for up to 2.8 GW of SOFC systems from Bloom Energy. While projects centered on green hydrogen, like National Grid‘s pilot and So Cal Gas‘s blending tests, are still in earlier phases, the core SOFC technology is fully commercialized and being deployed at an accelerating pace.

$5 Billion, Brookfield & Bloom Energy’s AI Infrastructure Model

The most critical strategic development to watch is how incumbent utilities respond to the “Bring Your Own Power” trend. They face a choice: either adopt the AEP model of becoming operators of BTM assets to retain large customers, or risk significant load and revenue loss to on-site generation.

• The portfolio-level financing model, epitomized by the $5 billion Brookfield-Bloom Energy AI infrastructure partnership, is gaining significant traction. This framework makes deploying multi-gigawatt fuel cell fleets feasible, moving them from niche solutions to a primary power source for new industrial load.
• Hyperscalers are making decisive, long-term commitments that bypass traditional utility procurement. Oracle’s order for up to 2.8 GW from Bloom Energy is a clear signal that data center operators now see BTM SOFCs as a permanent, strategic component of their infrastructure.
• The “wait-for-the-grid” strategy is losing viability. The extreme power demand in regions like Dominion Energy’s service territory, coupled with multi-year interconnection delays, has rendered grid-only solutions untenable for time-sensitive AI deployments, creating a durable market for BTM power.

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of the commercial deployment of solid oxide fuel cells by utilities and data centers. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Which companies are gaining or losing ground in the SOFC market for data center and utility power?
• What is the outlook for SOFC deployment to power AI data centers and manage utility grid strain by 2030?
• AEP and National Grid have announced major initiatives. Are these behind-the-meter fuel cell projects progressing from pilot to fleet-wide deployment?
• Which utilities and hyperscalers are leading the adoption of on-site fuel cells to bypass grid interconnection queues?

This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.

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