Fuel Cells Beat Mini Nuclear Reactors: Brookfield Invests USD 5 Billion in AI Data Centers with Bloom Energy - RENIXX Stock Soars 30%
San Jose (USA) - The electricity demand of AI data centers planned worldwide is enormous. For a long time, mini nuclear reactors (SMRs) were seen as the preferred solution. But the tide is turning: fuel cells are gaining ground because they can deliver independent, scalable power immediately - something SMRs won't be capable of for years. According to industry analysts, the power demand for AI data centers in the US alone will exceed 100 gigawatts by 2035.
Brookfield and Bloom Energy Build AI Data Centers Like Factories - With Integrated Power Supply
Bloom Energy and Brookfield have announced a USD 5 billion strategic partnership to create a completely new model for powering future AI factories. The goal is to plan computing power, energy supply, and infrastructure as an integrated system from the outset, and to operate independently of existing power grids. Bloom Energy contributes the fuel cell technology, while Brookfield brings infrastructure development and financing expertise.
As part of the collaboration, the two companies are defining how AI factories will be built and powered globally, including a site in Europe to be announced later in 2025.
KR Sridhar (Kalpathi Ramakrishnan Sridhar), Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Bloom Energy, emphasizes the industrial scale of this development:
“AI infrastructure must be built like a factory - with purpose, speed, and scale. Unlike traditional factories, AI factories demand massive power, rapid deployment and real-time load responsiveness that legacy grids cannot support. The lean AI factory is achieved with power, infrastructure, and compute designed in sync from day one. That principle guides our collaboration with Brookfield to reimagine the data center of the future. Together, we are creating a new blueprint for powering AI at scale.”
Sikander Rashid, Global Head of AI Infrastructure at Brookfield, adds: “Bloom’s advanced fuel cell technology gives us the unique capability to design and construct modern AI factories with a holistic and innovative approach to power needs. As the world’s largest AI infrastructure investor, this partnership adds a powerful new tool to our global growth strategy, especially in a grid-constrained market environment.”
Bloom Energy Already Benefiting from Oracle Partnership
Bloom Energy is already supplying stationary fuel cells to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) in the U.S. The systems are to be deployed within just 90 days, independent of the public power grid.
“Oracle Cloud Infrastructure requires power solutions engineered to meet the performance and reliability demands of today’s most advanced AI and compute workloads,” said Aman Joshi, Chief Commercial Officer at Bloom Energy, commenting on the Oracle partnership in July 2025.
Advantages of Fuel Cells Over Mini Nuclear Reactors
Fuel cells shine through immediate availability, modular scalability (10 - 100 MW) directly at the data centers, and independence from the power grid. SMR plants (Small Modular Reactors), by contrast, are still largely in the design phase, require years of regulatory approval, grid connections, and are unlikely to be deployed at scale before 2030. While SMRs are stuck in planning loops, fuel cells are already securing real contracts with hyperscale data centers - a decisive advantage in the race for AI infrastructure.
Market Reaction: Bloom Stock Temporarily Surges 30%
Bloom Energy’s stock, listed on the global RENIXX (Renewable Energy Industrial Index), climbed more than 30% during yesterday’s trading. After years of skepticism, the technology is experiencing a revival: fuel cells are no longer viewed as a futuristic concept, but as an immediate solution to the energy demands of the AI industry. Investors are recognizing a profitable new market opportunity.
Source: IWR Online, 14 Oct 2025
