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A major hyperscaler, with a site in California, chose a fully managed, highly reliable backup power system run on renewable natural gas to support their needs. They will achieve carbon-neutral emissions and have backup power that meets stringent uptime requirements and offers flexible capacity.
Enchanted Rock is deploying 60 MW of onsite generation to support a data center in San Jose, California. This fully managed system provides highly reliable backup power that meets the stringent uptime requirements of the hyperscaler’s mission-critical operations, while also offering flexible capacity to support California’s evolving grid needs. By using renewable natural gas (RNG), the facility will achieve carbon-neutral or negative emissions.
Originally designed to have diesel backup generators, the hyperscaler that owns and operates this data center needed to increase site sustainability and align with the company’s broader goals around operational efficiency and environmental responsibility, all without having to make a major design change to the site. They selected Enchanted Rock’s natural gas generators as a more sustainable, efficient alternative that fit within the existing site design.
Modern Resilience Doesn’t Run on Diesel
Powered by natural gas instead of diesel, Enchanted Rock’s onsite generation delivers the capacity data centers need—with built-in redundancy that traditional diesel generators and gas turbines can’t match. This unique multi-generator architecture provides the same output as conventional diesel systems, with the flexibility to configure for N or N+1 depending on the data center’s operational priorities. Compared to a similarly sized diesel generator, Enchanted Rock’s solution offers higher power density and enhanced redundancy, delivering highly efficient, node-level reliability of 99.999%.
By leveraging existing underground natural gas infrastructure, Enchanted Rock’s generators eliminate the need for onsite fuel storage, avoiding the logistical challenges and risks associated with diesel delivery, handling, and refueling. It also eliminates environmental risks, such as spills and fuel degradation. This not only simplifies operations but also enhances reliability during extended outages, when fuel supply chains are often disrupted.
Increasing Capacity without Compromising Air Quality
This increasing need for data center power brings new regulatory challenges—especially when it comes to air permitting. As these facilities continue to increase in size, they often approach Title V thresholds, particularly in non-attainment zones where air quality standards are more stringent. Enchanted Rock’s ultra-low emissions natural gas generators offer a beneficial solution, enabling data centers to deploy substantial onsite generation capacity while remaining below Title V thresholds.
Our microgrids are fueled by pipeline-delivered RNG, enabling ultra-clean operation with up to 100 times lower local emissions than traditional diesel generators. This significant reduction includes drastically lower levels of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), particulate matter (PM), and other harmful pollutants that directly impact air quality and public health. In fact, our generation units meet or exceed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Distributed Generation (DG) emissions standards—widely recognized as the most stringent air quality regulations in the world. This allows our customers to deploy meaningful onsite generation capacity while staying compliant in even the most environmentally regulated areas, including non-attainment zones.
Enhancing Grid Stability with Flexible Capacity
Data centers often face criticism for straining the grid and contributing to power shortages. Flexible capacity is the solution for that.
Enchanted Rock’s dispatchable generation transforms data centers from passive energy consumers into active, reliable grid partners, helping balance demand and support grid stability every day. This transforms the generators from standby assets into dynamic participants in grid support and market services.
Before and during capacity-short, grid stress events, data centers can shift their load to onsite generation, reducing strain on the grid. This flexible capacity constitutes a crucial component of community resilience by maintaining power reliability during periods of greatest demand.
By operating during periods of peak demand or grid instability, Enchanted Rock’s onsite generation helps alleviate stress on the local distribution network and bolsters overall grid resilience. This approach not only can speed up access to power but also enhances operational efficiency for both data centers and grid operators.
Providing More than just Backup Power
Through this approach, the onsite generation at the San Jose data center will do more than provide backup power to the site during grid outages. Enchanted Rock will manage the active participation in demand response and capacity programs, including California’s Base Interruptible Program (BIP), which offers incentives to large energy users that can reduce load during grid emergencies. This makes the facility a valuable grid asset versus a liability.
This data center project reflects a growing trend among hyperscale operators: integrating resilient, low-emission infrastructure that supports both internal continuity and external grid stability. The San Jose deployment represents one of the largest commercial natural gas microgrid installations in the country and is part of the hyperscaler’s long-term strategy to ensure reliable computing infrastructure in regions with increasingly constrained grids.
A major hyperscaler, with a site in California, chose a fully managed, highly reliable backup power system run on renewable natural gas to support their needs. They will achieve carbon-neutral emissions and have backup power that meets stringent uptime requirements and offers flexible capacity.
