Vetted by NeuralPress's Multi-Agent Verifier for strict factual validity and event relevance. Our compliance engine cross-checks and filters search results to ensure zero false correlations or misleading content.
Incremental Data Center Energy Sources by 2050
Projected gigawatt contribution by energy source for data center operations.
Primary Sources
Solar to dominate energy by 2035, but AI data centers will ... - TechCrunch
Solar will become the largest source of power in the next decade, surpassing coal, oil and natural gas, according to a new report from BloombergNEF. The tectonic shift will occur alongside a historic rise in the use of energy driven by AI and the electrification of entire industries. “Solar is winning the race,” Matthias Kimmel, head of energy economics at BloombergNEF, told TechCrunch. BloombergNEF expects the shift to happen on economic grounds alone — solar is simply too cheap to ignore. Pakistan, for example, has added 25 gigawatts of solar power in the last two years after natural gas prices spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The transition could be even swifter if countries take more aggressive measures to curb their carbon emissions. The power handoff comes as investors are viewing energy as one of the biggest opportunities for growth in recent decades. Data centers have been at the center of the obsession, and BloombergNEF’s data reinforces the scale of the opportunity. The energy consultancy expects data centers to drive an additional 1 terawatt of utility-scale solar, 400 gigawatts of solar, 370 gigawatts of natural gas, and 110 gigawatts of coal. But because of gas and coal’s ability to operate 24/7, BloombergNEF expects those fossil fuels to provide 51% of incremental generation for data centers by 2050. Put simply, tech companies and data center developers will have an outsized influence over which energy sources remain viable by mid-century. Those forecasts aren’t ironclad, though. Other technologies have been vying for a piece of the data center market, including long-duration energy storage, geothermal, and nuclear. Big batteries received a boost from Google, which has included $1 billion worth of 100-hour batteries from Form Energy in a recent data center project. And both geothermal and nuclear power show promise following the blockbuster IPOs of both Fervo Energy and X-energy this month. Competition from photovoltaics will be stiff, though. Solar panels have spread dramatically in recent years, spurred by declining costs that show no sign of stopping. By 2035, prices are expected to drop another 30%, outcompeting coal and natural gas. By 2050, solar panels are expected to generate more than twice as much electricity as natural gas. Solar’s falling costs can be attributed to two causes: One is China’s industrial policy, which has favored the technology, subsidizing manufacturers and flooding the market. The other is mas...
Bloom Energy: 2026 SOFC Dominance in AI & Data Centers - EnkiAI
Bloom Energy has demonstrated a remarkable strategic pivot, capitalizing on the explosive growth of the AI and data center markets between 2024 and 2026. The period began with transformative commercial agreements in 2024, validating the company's Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology as a prime solution for power-intensive operations. This momentum carried into 2025, a year of strategic ...
Google's Wild AI Strategy: 500 MW Solar Deal and Potential SpaceX ...
Google signs 500 MW solar deal and explores SpaceX orbital data centers as AI-driven electricity demand reshapes global infrastructure.
BloombergNEF Report Says Clean Energy Transition Could Strengthen ...
The outlook also stressed that global energy investment must rise substantially to meet international climate goals. Although global energy transition spending reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, BloombergNEF estimates around $235 trillion in total investment will be required by 2050 to achieve a net-zero emissions pathway.
