Fuel cells generate electricity by directly converting chemical energy into electrical energy without combustion. As power grids become congested with the surge in power demand due to the AI boom, fuel cells could offer distributed power generation and power for remote locations without the time needed for permitting and building a gas-fired power plant. Fuel cells could allow companies to spin up a new source of low-carbon-emission electricity relatively quickly, Goldman Sachs Research said in a report late last year. This would correspond to roughly 8-20 GW of fuel cell capacity required to supply electricity by 2030. Some Big Tech companies are not waiting for manufacturing expansion; they have already tapped fuel cell systems to power some data and AI centers.