Google signs 20-year power purchase agreement with American Electric Power for 702MW Wyoming fuel cell plant

Google has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with American Electric Power for a 702MW fuel cell project near Cheyenne, Wyoming, according to Data Center Dynamics. AEP estimates the plant will cost $4 billion to build, plans to start construction in 2026 and expects full operations by the end of 2028.

Cheyenne Fuel Cell, the project company, is 92% owned by AEP and 8% by funds advised by Basalt Infrastructure Partners. Bloom Energy will supply the fuel cells under an agreement announced earlier for up to 1GW of capacity. This 702MW plant sits inside that envelope. AEP chairman, president and chief executive Bill Fehrman said the project shows the utility "creating new opportunities to meet evolving energy needs for customers both within and beyond our traditional service territory."

The $4 billion construction estimate works out to roughly $5.7 million per megawatt of capacity. The price Google pays per megawatt-hour under the 20-year PPA is not disclosed.

Google's own Wyoming load is larger. The company is developing a 2.7GW data center near Cheyenne, first reported in July, on a 716-acre parcel eight miles south of the city in the Switchgrass Industrial Park. Data Center Dynamics reports the application suggests four data halls plus office, logistics and network buildings, with construction slated for completion by 2031. The report does not say whether the fuel cell output is dedicated to that campus. At 702MW, the plant is about a quarter of the campus's 2.7GW nameplate.

An Apex Clean Energy and Meta solar PPA announced on Oct. 1 came with no capacity, term or price stated. The AEP agreement names the capacity, the term and the construction cost but does not state the price of the power. Google has contracted firm capacity before, including 396 megawatts at Fervo Energy's Utah geothermal site, per PID's records.