Officials from Dominion, one of the nation’s largest energy companies, and FuelCell Energy Inc. have broken ground at what is believed to be the largest fuel cell power project in North America.

Over the last year, the stationary fuel cells sector has seen a sharp increase in market demand created by government policy initiatives, according to a report from Navigant Research. The firm forecasts that annual revenue from stationary fuel cells will grow from $1.7 billion in 2013 to $9 billion in 2022.

ReliOn, a supplier of fuel cells for backup power and grid-support applications, announced that Cummins Inc. has made a strategic investment in the company. Cummins is comprised of multiple business units that design, manufacture, distribute, and service engines and engine-related technologies.

The fuel cell sector is now at a point where, if all government policy related to stationary fuel cells was carried out, the global market potential would surpass three gigawatts (GW) in 2013, and increase to more than 50 GW by 2020, according to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice.

WATT Fuel Cell Corp., a developer and manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems, has announced the establishment of a strategic licensing and supply agreement with Parker Hannifin Corp. The agreement allows for Parker’s production of a family of propane-driven, SOFC-based products.

Hines, an international real estate firm, and equity partner J.P. Morgan Asset Management, announced that the 13-story, 415,000-square-foot building under construction at La Jolla Commons in San Diego will become the nation’s largest net-zero energy office building to date.

ClearEdge Power, a manufacturer of fuel cell systems, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire UTC Power, a unit of United Technologies Corp., which also develops and manufactures fuel cells.

FuelCell Energy Inc. has announced a project utilizing a stationary fuel cell power plant to support Microsoft’s latest data center research project. The power plant will use renewable biogas generated by a wastewater treatment facility as the fuel source to generate clean, carbon-neutral electricity for Microsoft’s Data Plant project.

Annual shipments of fuel cell systems will grow rapidly over the next five years, from less than 29,000 in 2012 to more than 600,000 by 2017, according to a report from Pike Research. The market value of the fuel cell industry is expected to reach $15.7 billion by 2017.

FuelCell Energy Inc. has announced an order from its South Korean partner, POSCO Energy, for 121.8 megawatts (MW) of fuel cell kits and services from its FuelCell Energy production facility in Torrington, Conn. The estimated value of the multi-year contract is approximately $181 million.