**Bloom Energy Shares Skyrocket Following Major Deal Announcement**

Bloom Energy witnessed a remarkable surge in its stock price on Friday, with shares soaring by 47.8% as of 10:30 a.m. ET. This massive uptick comes in the wake of a significant announcement that Bloom Energy will supply up to 1 gigawatt of fuel cells to the electric utility giant, American Electric Power (AEP).

The announcement of this new agreement is particularly compelling as it follows a recent disappointing earnings report from the renewable energy company. However, last week's news of an 80-megawatt fuel cell system deal with South Korea's SK Ecoplant had already started to turn investor sentiment around. The current deal is twelve and a half times larger, spanning 1,000 megawatts, thereby explaining the robust investor reaction.

Under the terms of the deal, AEP plans to deploy Bloom's fuel cell systems at customer AI data centers. This rollout will begin with an initial order of 100 megawatts in 2025. The speed and scale of this deployment promise to rapidly increase Bloom’s market presence and revenue.

To put the magnitude of this deal into perspective, the new agreement represents roughly 77% of the total fuel cell volume Bloom Energy has deployed over its entire 23-year history, which stands at 1.3 gigawatts. While specific revenue figures from the deal haven't been disclosed, historic data implies that the transaction could eventually bring in over $7 billion for Bloom.

Financially, Bloom is already on a positive trajectory. The company reported gross profit margins nearing 24% in the third quarter, marking a significant step towards achieving profitable operating and net margins. This latest deal could very well be the catalyst that propels Bloom into sustained profitability.

In summary, Bloom Energy's strategic alliance with AEP marks an exciting turning point for the renewable energy firm, offering a substantial boost to its market position and financial health. Investors, clearly, are optimistic about what lies ahead.