Wyoming to Host First U.S. Data Center Using Lithium-Free Organic Battery Storage
In a pioneering move for the U.S. data center industry, Prometheus Hyperscale and energy startup XL Batteries are partnering to deploy a new type of energy storage that does not rely on lithium. The project will mark the country’s first use of organic flow battery technology for data centers—an innovation aimed at meeting the rising energy demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The initiative will begin with a pilot project at Prometheus’s upcoming one-gigawatt data center in Wyoming, set to launch in 2027. Following the pilot, the companies plan to scale up to 25 megawatts of energy storage capacity in 2028 and 2029. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, organic flow batteries store and release energy by circulating positively and negatively charged electrolytes through electrochemical cells. They avoid the use of lithium altogether and instead utilize saltwater-based solutions, making them more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
As data centers grow to meet the accelerating power needs of AI and cloud infrastructure, energy use is skyrocketing. According to projections from BloombergNEF, U.S. data centers are expected to account for 8.6% of national electricity demand by 2035—up from 3.5% today. This surge is pushing data center developers and utilities to explore alternative power sources, from geothermal and nuclear to more flexible energy storage technologies like flow batteries.
“This is just the beginning,” said Tom Sisto, CEO of XL Batteries. “The demand is massive, and by demonstrating what our technology can do, we aim to pave the way for broader adoption.”
Currently, there are no known deployments of organic flow batteries at U.S. data centers, according to Evelina Stoikou, BloombergNEF’s head of battery technologies, though she acknowledged that undisclosed projects may exist. XL’s system stands out not only for its lithium-free composition but also for its extended energy storage duration and reduced risk of overheating—critical factors for modern data centers.
Prometheus CEO Trenton Thornock emphasized the importance of safe, scalable storage solutions for next-gen facilities. “We need batteries that match or exceed lithium in performance—without the fire risk—before we can deploy them at scale in our data halls,” he said. “XL Batteries’ organic flow battery technology delivers a long-duration, non-toxic solution that meets those needs.”
This groundbreaking collaboration could set a new precedent for sustainable infrastructure in the tech industry, as companies look to power the future of AI without relying on globally sourced lithium.
