Plug Power’s Rocky Road: From Dot-Com Darling to Hydrogen Niche Player
Plug Power's stock once soared to $1,498 during the dot-com bubble, fueled by visions of residential hydrogen revolutions. Two decades later, shares languish below $4 as infrastructure costs and regulatory hurdles forced a pivot to industrial fuel cells.
The company now serves blue-chip clients like Walmart and Amazon with forklift fuel systems, deploying over 72,000 units. Its electrolyzer business taps growing corporate demand for on-site hydrogen production—a bright spot in an otherwise turbulent journey.
Early investors nursing losses watch for signs of revival. The hydrogen economy's gradual maturation could reignite interest, but Plug Power must prove its niche applications can scale beyond material handling equipment.