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OpenAI and Oracle鈥檚 data center project in southern New Mexico will be powered by fuel cells rather than natural gas turbines and diesel generators, a move they say 鈥渄ramatically reduces water use鈥� and 鈥渉elps protect electricity rates for local residents.鈥� 

The two tech giants, as well as Project Jupiter鈥檚 developer BorderPlex Digital Assets, said Monday that California-based Bloom Energy will provide up to 2.45 gigawatts of fuel-cell capacity for the data center, a shift that requires a new air-quality permit application.

鈥淲e are excited to move forward with this updated energy solution, which reflects our commitment to both the latest innovation and community priorities as we advance the next generation of AI infrastructure,鈥� said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. 

The companies said they can create a microgrid with the fuel cells that is not connected to the existing electrical grid. Compared to the two previously planned natural gas microgrid power plants, the fuel cells will reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by 92%, they added. 

Water use will be 鈥渘egligible,鈥� and the new energy system will be quieter and more efficient, the companies said.  They said the new energy model will have no impact on local electricity rates and will add no strain to the existing regional power grid.  

In an email, a Bloom Energy spokesperson said that to support the initial startup, a one-time fill of 960,000 gallons of water is required, and added that the fuel cells will use natural gas as an input. 

鈥淭he fuel cells generate electricity through a non-combustion process and require no water during normal operations,鈥� said Katja Gagen. 鈥淎fter startup, the system is designed to run without additional water under normal conditions.鈥�

鈥淎dditionally, the project incorporates closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling systems designed to minimize water consumption 鈥� another critical consideration for the region,鈥� the companies said in their announcement.

Bloom鈥檚 solid-oxide fuel cells convert fuel into electricity through an electrochemical process without combustion. The fuel cells do produce carbon dioxide (CO₂₎ emissions, .

As a result of the change, Project Jupiter resubmitted its application for a new air-quality permit for the project, which has come under fire for the strain on local resources it poses, especially water.

Drew Goretzka, spokesperson for the New Mexico Environment Department, confirmed Tuesday that the project will have to restart its permitting process. Permitting staff will review the application for 鈥渃ompleteness鈥� and then open a public comment period, usually lasting 30 days, Goretzka said. Air permitting staff then review the technical material and issue a draft permit. The ultimate decision on whether to approve the permit is up to James Kenney, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham鈥檚 environment secretary. 

The fuel-cell microgrid may also be the largest such project in the world, experts said.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking about a football field of fuel cells, and no one has ever engineered that,鈥� said Russ Guillette, founder and CEO of Guillette & Companies, which focuses on research and development of the energy transition, biofuels and technology. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e asking the equivalent of what it takes to get to Mars. It鈥檚 in the area of conjecture.鈥� 

Guillette questioned why the project would not just use solar panels backed up by battery storage, a cheaper option. 

鈥淎s far as prices, that鈥檚 where I think it falls apart completely,鈥� he added.

Jack Brouwer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the director of the Clean Energy Institute at the University of California, Irvine, said he believes this would be the largest fuel center project in the world, though there are comparatively sized ones being announced with the rise in the development of data centers. 

He noted that there is up to a five-year backlog on natural gas turbines, and data-center developers do not want to wait that long for power, so they have been looking for other options, including fuel cells.

鈥淭his is a super exciting beginning of a new era whereby the huge demand and investment that is going into data centers for AI can potentially transform our entire energy infrastructure to one that is sustainable and clean,鈥� Brouwer said. 

Jesse Jenkins, associate professor at Princeton University鈥檚 Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, in an email called the fuel-cell project 鈥渦nprecedented in scale.鈥� 

It is 鈥渓ikely to be one of the most expensive fossil-fueled power generation projects in history,鈥� he said, adding that fuel cells cost considerably more than conventional gas combustion turbines.

Bloom鈥檚 natural gas fuel cells will emit 鈥渟ignificantly less nitrous oxide and no particulate matter, so it will be considerably better for air quality than an equivalent number of diesel generators and gas turbines,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淏ut they will still produce a substantial amount of CO₂ emissions (roughly comparable to combustion turbines and a bit less than diesel generators).鈥�

Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. He can be reached at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.