Regulators to decide if Georgia law allows data center’s pop-up gas power plant
Georgia's Public Service Commission (PSC) has unanimously voted to hold hearings regarding the legality of a planned on-site gas power plant for a data center in Covington. VoltaGrid intends to install 33 gas-burning engines to power a Serverfarm data center directly, bypassing the traditional grid, and the PSC will examine if this arrangement complies with state law.
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced it will examine the legality of an unprecedented power arrangement for a data center in the state. The commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to conduct hearings into whether a Houston-based firm, VoltaGrid, can proceed with its plan.
VoltaGrid intends to install 33 gas-burning engines next to a Serverfarm data center currently under construction in Covington, Georgia, approximately 40 miles east of downtown Atlanta. These engines would directly supply power to the adjacent data center, circumventing the public electricity grid. The PSC's inquiry will focus on whether this on-site, gas-fired power generation model is permissible under existing Georgia law.