- Project Owner
- GIC Vernon LLC
- Docket Number
- 25-SPPE-01
- Capacity
- 99 MW
- Location
- Vernon, California
- Technology
- Backup Generating System
- Project Status
- Under Review
- Project Type
- Small Power Plant Exemption
The Vernon Backup Generating Facility (VBGF) would consist of a total of forty (40) diesel fired generators that would be used exclusively to provide up to 99 megawatts (MW) of backup emergency generation to support the Goodman Energy Park Data Center (GEP) when electricity from Vernon Public Utility (VPU) is unavailable to the GEP. The GEP would consist of two data center buildings (Building 1 and Building 2) north and east of the intersection of Vernon Avenue and Soto Street in the City of Vernon, California. The Building 1 address would be 3163 East Vernon Avenue and the Building 2 address would be 3049 East Vernon Avenue.
The VBGF would not be electrically interconnected to the electrical transmission grid. The GEP would be supplied electricity by VPU through a new switching station on the GEP site that would be owned and operated by VPU (VPU Switching Station). The GEP would include a project substation that would be owned and operated by the project applicant GIC Vernon (Project Substation). The Project Substation would be located immediately adjacent to the VPU Switching Station. Thirty-eight (38) of the generators would each have a capacity of 3 MW and would provide backup of the electricity needs of the GEP’s critical operations. Two (2) generators would each have a capacity of 1 MW and would be used to support general office loads along with building and life safety services (house generators) for each data center building during an emergency outage.
Small Power Plant Exemption
The CEC has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants 50 megawatts (MW) and larger and related facilities proposed for construction in California. The Small Power Plant Exemption (SPPE) process allows applicants with facilities between 50 and 100 MW to obtain an exemption from CEC’s jurisdiction and proceed with local permitting rather than requiring CEC certification. CEC can grant an exemption if it finds that the proposed facility would not create a substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources. Public Resources Code section 25519(c) designates CEC as the “lead agency”, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), for all facilities seeking an SPPE. In granting an SPPE, the CEC is not the final approval necessary for construction and operation of a project. Instead, if the CEC grants an SPPE, the responsible local land use authorities and other agencies, such as the local air management district, will assume jurisdiction over the project under their respective permitting processes, and conduct any other necessary environmental review as “responsible agencies” under CEQA.
Contacts
Project Manager
Eric Veerkamp
STEPsiting@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
Public Participation Questions
Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-269-9595
Media Inquiries
Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989