CenturyLink to power California data center with Bloom Energy Servers

MONROE, La., Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) today announced it is expanding its sustainability commitments by installing Bloom Energy fuel cells to generate up to 500 kilowatts of clean, reliable power for one of its California data centers.

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The fuel cells, expected to produce nearly 4.4 million kilowatt-hours of annual electricity, will help power cloud, managed hosting and colocation services housed within the data center, located in Irvine, California, and operated by Savvis, a CenturyLink company.  

"We must explore our energy alternatives to support advancements in technology and the escalating demand for network and IT infrastructure," said David Meredith, senior vice president and global general manager for Savvis. "Bloom's clean fuel cells offer a way for businesses like CenturyLink to promote the continuing evolution of technology without sacrificing their sustainability commitments."

The Bloom Energy Servers use fuel cells to generate electricity through a clean electrochemical process using air and natural gas. The project will help CenturyLink avoid approximately one million pounds of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emissions annually and significantly reduce SOx (sulfur oxides), NOx (nitrogen oxides) and other harmful smog-forming particulate emissions.

Bloom Energy has experienced widespread adoption for its servers and a growing demand for its Mission Critical solution, which will be installed at the Savvis California location. This configuration enables CenturyLink to receive primary power for its critical loads from Bloom Energy Servers, protecting those loads from electrical outages without the need for backup UPS and generator systems.  

"Bloom Energy is excited to work with CenturyLink in helping it achieve its corporate sustainability goals," said Peter Gross, vice president of mission critical systems at Bloom Energy. "This project highlights CenturyLink's long-term vision, and Bloom Energy is excited to be contributing to a new model for data center design and operation that is cleaner and more reliable than the conventional architecture."

The Bloom system will be fully operational in early to mid-2014.  To see how this program fits in with CenturyLink's broader sustainability initiatives, visit http://www.centurylink.com/Pages/AboutUs/Community/Environment/.

About Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy is a provider of breakthrough solid oxide fuel cell technology generating clean, highly efficient onsite power from multiple fuel sources. Founded in 2001 with a mission to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world, Bloom Energy Servers are currently producing power for several Fortune 500 companies including Google, Wal-Mart, AT&T, eBay, Staples, The Coca-Cola Company, as well as notable non-profit organizations such as Caltech and Kaiser Permanente. Also, with its Mission Critical Systems practice, Bloom Energy provides grid-independent power for critical loads in data centers and manufacturing. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit www.Bloomenergy.com.

About Savvis
Savvis, a CenturyLink company, provides industry-leading IT infrastructure solutions that keep enterprises powered for business in today's ever-changing global marketplace. Combining deep, proven experience with personal commitment, Savvis delivers cloud, colocation and managed-hosting services over advanced networks, enabling its clients to focus on their core environments and meet new market opportunities.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the United States and is recognized as a leader in the network services market by technology industry analyst firms. The company is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprise customers. CenturyLink provides data, voice and managed services in local, national and select international markets through its high-quality advanced fiber optic network and multiple data centers for businesses and consumers. The company also offers advanced entertainment services under the CenturyLink® Prism™ TV and DIRECTV brands. Headquartered in Monroe, La., CenturyLink is an S&P 500 company and is included among the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. For more information, visit www.centurylink.com.

SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.