Dive Brief:
- Constellation announced Wednesday it has inked an agreement with Bloom Energy to develop 40 MW of fuel cell projects for commercial and public sector customers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
- The deal deepens the relationship between the two companies, which in 2014 involved a 21 MW deal involving the Bloom Energy Servers.
- Under the new arrangement, Constellation will provide equity financing and own a majority equity interest in the fuel cells at more than 170 customer sites.
Dive Insight:
Constellation has almost tripled the capacity it has acquired from Bloom, adding 40 MW to the 21 MW it bought almost exactly a year ago.
The new deal provides few specifics, but customers will include AT&T, the City of Hartford, Connecticut, and Walmart. The fuel cell projects require no upfront capital from customers, who sign 15-year power purchase agreements.
“Walmart currently has more than 40 installations with Bloom Energy, and through this partnership with Constellation, we are looking forward to expanding our Bloom deployments into new territories,” David Ozment, senior director of energy at at the mega-retailer, said in a statement.
Constellation and Bloom say they expect to have the fuel cells installed in phases by the end of next year.
Last year, an Exelon spokesman told Utility Dive the deal was the first step in a "long-term strategic partnership" between the two companies. Exelon is financing Bloom Energy projects through Bloom Electrons, allowing customers to buy power as a service rather than purchasing the equipment directly.
