Project Owner
Microsoft Corporation
Docket Number
19-SPPE-04
Capacity
99 MW
Location
San Jose
Technology
Backup Generating System
Project Status
Exempted
Project Type
Small Power Plant Exemption
Project Description

Microsoft Corporation proposes to construct and operate the San Jose Data Center (project) located at 1657 Alviso-Milpitas Road in San Jose, California. The project would consist of two single-story data center buildings with approximately 396,914 gross square feet of administrative and data center space. The maximum electrical load of the project would be up to 99 megawatts (MW), although the estimated load would be 77 MW inclusive of information technology (IT) equipment, ancillary electrical/telecommunications equipment, and other electrical loads (administrative, heat rejection, and safety/security). To provide reliable operation of the project in the event of loss of electrical service from the local electric utility provider, Pacific Gas and  Electric Company (PG&E), the project includes 224 0.45 MW renewable natural gas generators to provide electrical power to support the data center uses during utility outages, certain onsite electrical equipment interruptions or failure, and for load shedding, demand response and behind -the -meter resource adequacy ancillary services. In addition, the project includes two Tier 4 compliant diesel administrative generators with a 1.25 MW for the northern building and 0.5 MW for the southern building.  The project would also include an onsite 115-kilovolt (kV) substation with two 115-kV electrical supply lines that would connect to PG&E’s Los Esteros Substation, located adjacent to the site. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires the lead agency to consider the whole of the action; therefore, the Energy Commission will include the entire data center project in its analysis, which includes the construction of the data center buildings along with the installation and operation of the generators and any associated utility connection facilities.

Presiding Member: Patty Monahan, Commissioner

Associate Member: Kourtney Vaccaro, Commissioner

Hearing Officer: Caryn Holmes and Deborah Dyer

February 19, 2021, Public Scoping Meeting San Jose Data Center

 May 18, 2022, Prehearing Conference - San Jose City Backup Generation Facility

May 26, 2022, Evidentiary Hearing - San Jose City Backup Generation Facility

July 13, 2022, Energy Commission Business Meeting

Small Power Plant Exemption

The CEC Small Power Plant Exemption (SPPE) process allows applicants proposing thermal power plants between 50 and 100 MW to obtain an exemption from the CEC’s jurisdiction and proceed with local permitting rather than requiring CEC certification. The CEC can grant an exemption if it finds that the proposed facility will not create a substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources. These facilities were exempted from the CEC’s jurisdiction.

Contacts

Project Manager

Lisa Worrall
STEPsiting@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-661-8367

Public Participation Questions

Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-957-7910

Media Inquiries

Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989

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