San Jose Data Center

San Jose Data Center

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants (50 megawatts [MW] and greater) and related facilities proposed for construction in California. The Small Power Plant Exemption (SPPE) process allows applicants with facilities between 50 and 100 MW to obtain an exemption from CEC’s jurisdiction and proceed with local permitting rather than requiring CEC certification. CEC can grant an exemption if it finds that the proposed facility would not create a substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources. Public Resources Code section 25519(c) designates CEC as the lead agency, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), for all facilities seeking an SPPE. Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft or Applicant) is seeking an SPPE from the CEC’s jurisdiction to proceed with local permitting rather than requiring certification by the CEC for the San Jose Data Center (project).?? The applicant proposes to construct and operate the project, located at 1657 Alviso-Milpitas Road in San Jose, California. The project would consist of two single-story data center buildings. To provide reliable operation of the data center in the event of loss of electrical service from the local electric utility provider, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the project includes 40 3.0-MW Tier 4 compliant standby diesel generators. The generators would provide electrical power to support the information technology (IT) load during utility outages or certain onsite electrical equipment interruptions or failure. The maximum electrical load of the data center would be 99 MW, although the estimated load is 92 MW, inclusive of IT equipment, ancillary electrical/ telecommunications equipment, and other electrical loads (administrative, heat rejection, and safety/security). The project also includes 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 project would require offsite linears for potable water, reclaimed water, storm water, sanitary sewer, and electrical. No natural gas would be used onsite.

San Jose

Santa Clara

Northern California

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Historic Preservation, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW)

Other (Data center with diesel backup generators)

Use Permit

Air Quality, Biological Resources, Coastal Zone, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Noise, Public Services, Recreation, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Vegetation, Wildfire, Wildlife, Other