New York, Jan 8, 2026, 11:24 ET — Regular session
Bloom Energy Corporation shares jumped on Thursday after American Electric Power said it would buy solid oxide fuel cells in a deal valued at about $2.65 billion. Bloom was last up about 9% at $117.63, after swinging between $106.70 and $128. 1
The move matters because it puts a fresh price tag on an option that investors have treated as “real someday” rather than “real now,” and it comes as markets look for firm orders behind the broader push to lock down power supply for large loads. Evercore ISI analyst Nicholas Amicucci called the development a “meaningful positive,” Barron’s reported, pointing to clearer volume commitments and more visibility into Bloom’s order pipeline. 2
AEP said the purchase ties to its plan to develop and build a fuel cell power generation facility near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and it also signed a 20-year agreement with an unnamed customer to take all of the facility’s output. The offtake deal is subject to conditions expected to be met by the second quarter of 2026, it said, adding that it would be compensated if conditions are not satisfied. 3
Solid oxide fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical process rather than burning fuel. An offtake agreement is a long-term contract to sell the output — in this case, power from the planned facility — to a buyer.
AEP shares were up about 1.6% in morning trade. Moves in other fuel-cell names were more restrained, with FuelCell Energy up about 1.3%, Plug Power up about 2.2% and Ballard Power up fractionally.
Traders will be looking for more clarity on timing — how quickly the order converts into shipments and revenue — and whether Bloom or AEP provides more detail on the customer tied to the 20-year offtake contract.
Still, big infrastructure-linked orders can be messy. Contracts can be staged, dates can drift, and investors have learned that “signed” does not always mean “delivered” on the schedule the market penciled in.
