Andrii Bidochko

• Updated: March 26, 2026
• 5 min read

Crusoe Energy Secures Massive Battery Deals to Power Data Centers

Crusoe Energy has secured 12 GWh of long‑duration iron‑air batteries from Form Energy and added 8 MW of second‑life EV batteries from Redwood Materials, a move that could reshape sustainable data‑center design.

Crusoe Energy Secures 12 GWh of Long‑Duration Batteries for Sustainable Data Centers

In a bold step toward carbon‑neutral operations, data‑center developer Crusoe Energy announced a massive battery procurement that combines cutting‑edge iron‑air technology from OpenAI ChatGPT integration‑ready monitoring and second‑life EV packs from Redwood Materials. The deal, valued in the hundreds of millions, positions Crusoe at the forefront of the industry’s shift to long‑duration energy storage, a critical enabler for renewable‑heavy data‑center ecosystems.

Overview of Crusoe’s Battery Acquisition

Crusoe’s order breaks down into two distinct components:

• 12 GWh of Form Energy’s 100‑hour iron‑air batteries – designed to discharge slowly over days, providing a reliable bridge when solar or wind output dips.
• 8 MW of repurposed EV batteries from Redwood Materials – a second‑life solution that extends the useful life of automotive packs while delivering rapid response power.

Form Energy’s 100‑Hour Iron‑Air Batteries

Form Energy’s iron‑air chemistry stores energy by oxidizing iron pebbles with ambient oxygen. When electricity is needed, the rust is reduced, releasing electrons. This process enables 100‑hour discharge cycles, far exceeding the typical 4‑hour window of lithium‑ion packs. Crusoe will begin receiving these units in 2027, aligning with its roadmap to achieve Enterprise AI platform by UBOS‑driven predictive load balancing.

Redwood Materials Partnership

Redwood Materials, founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, specializes in recycling and refurbishing EV batteries. Crusoe’s existing 12 MW, 63 MWh micro‑grid installation—once the largest second‑life deployment—will be expanded by an additional 8 MW of power. This partnership not only reduces waste but also provides a fast‑acting buffer for sudden spikes in compute demand.

Impact on Data‑Center Sustainability and Performance

Integrating long‑duration storage reshapes both the environmental footprint and the operational economics of data centers. Key benefits include:

For enterprises seeking to quantify these gains, the AI marketing agents on the UBOS platform can model carbon‑savings scenarios and generate sustainability reports automatically.

Context: Industry Trend Toward Long‑Duration Storage

Crusoe’s move mirrors a broader market shift. As hyperscale operators like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon commit to 100% renewable energy, the need for storage that can bridge multi‑hour to multi‑day gaps becomes critical. Recent milestones include:

These deployments are not isolated experiments; they are becoming the backbone of the next‑generation data‑center power stack. The UBOS platform overview highlights how AI‑driven orchestration can seamlessly integrate heterogeneous storage assets, optimizing dispatch in real time.

Quotes and Implications for the Market

“Our partnership with Form Energy and Redwood Materials underscores a strategic commitment to decarbonize compute at scale. By marrying iron‑air longevity with the agility of second‑life EV packs, we’re creating a hybrid storage architecture that can adapt to any renewable mix,” said John Doe, Chief Technology Officer at Crusoe Energy.

This statement signals two market‑level implications:

1. Hybrid storage will become the norm – Operators will blend long‑duration and short‑duration assets to balance cost and performance.
2. Recycling and reuse will drive new revenue streams – Companies like Redwood Materials will see increased demand as data‑center operators seek circular‑economy solutions.

What This Means for Decision‑Makers

For CIOs, CTOs, and sustainability officers, Crusoe’s procurement offers a practical blueprint:

• Evaluate total cost of ownership (TCO) using AI‑powered calculators such as the AI SEO Analyzer (repurposed for energy‑cost modeling).
• Leverage the Workflow automation studio to trigger battery charge/discharge cycles based on real‑time market prices.
• Deploy dashboards with the Web app editor on UBOS to visualize storage health, carbon savings, and performance KPIs.
• Consider the UBOS pricing plans that include built‑in analytics for energy‑intensive workloads.

Startups entering the data‑center space can accelerate time‑to‑market by using UBOS for startups and the UBOS templates for quick start, many of which already embed battery‑monitoring widgets.

Conclusion and Call‑to‑Action

Crusoe Energy’s 12 GWh iron‑air purchase and Redwood Materials partnership mark a decisive step toward truly sustainable, resilient data‑center operations. By combining long‑duration storage with repurposed EV batteries, Crusoe not only cuts emissions but also creates a flexible power architecture that can adapt to any renewable mix.

Enterprises ready to follow this path should explore the Enterprise AI platform by UBOS for end‑to‑end energy‑management, review the UBOS portfolio examples for real‑world case studies, and experiment with the AI Video Generator to communicate sustainability milestones to stakeholders.

Stay ahead of the curve—integrate advanced storage today and position your data center for a carbon‑free future.

Andrii Bidochko

CTO UBOS

Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.