A Pennsylvania firm that aims to build large data centers, powered by off-grid powerplants from 212 MW to 310 MW in size, hopes to site one soon, despite the University of Delaware's decision this summer to scrap plans for a 900,000-sq-ft data center and an adjacent 279-MW combined heat-and-power plant in the city of Newark Del.
Residents and activists opposed to the size of the powerplant fought the project. But Gene Kern, CEO of The Data Centers LLC (TDC), West Chester, says it has customers in multiple states for data centers whose design features natural-gas-fired energy sources.