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In the race to build digital infrastructure, speed is the ultimate competitive advantage. Looking to bring data center campuses online as quickly as possible, many in the space have resorted to on-site gas turbines to power their facilities. But this fossil-based approach often brings serious reliability issues, as well as negative environmental impacts. Critically, it also overlooks another highly compelling option: aggregating clean power resources to produce accredited capacity and, often, get facilities online faster.
Savvy data center players are increasingly leveraging solar, wind, storage, virtual power plants, and demand response resources to provide the accredited capacity utilities now frequently require for grid connection. This strategy capitalizes on evolving reliability frameworks across different ISOs and RTOs, which are changing the math on how non-fossil resources can provide real strategic advantages. What's more, most non-fossil assets can be deployed faster than gas turbines which, in some markets, are seeing wait times of five years or longer — meaning a renewables-first approach can meaningfully accelerate data centers' development timelines.
Renewables and grid-management resources are providing a scalable, fast, and sustainable way to meet the daunting power needs of today's largest data centers. LevelTen's article "Faster and Cleaner" explores:
- How shifting reliability ratings are unlocking more accredited capacity from non-fossil resources;
- How faster deployment timelines for clean power assets can meaningfully accelerate data centers' interconnection wait times;
- Why "islanding" data centers with on-site gas generation is falling out of fashion;
- How Vantage Data Centers leveraged a renewables-first approach in Wisconsin to meet ambitious timelines and support positive community relations;
- How LevelTen Energy's Capacity+ product brings clean accredited capacity solutions within reach
Sounds too good to be true? It's not. To learn more, explore LevelTen's deep dive on the topic "Faster and Cleaner" by filling out the form below.
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