Bowers Backup Generating Facility

4 Documents in Project

Summary

SCH Number
2023020228
Lead Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
Bowers Backup Generating Facility
Document Type
NOP - Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR
Received
Present Land Use
Developed office building / Zoning ML Light Industrial / General Plan High Intensity Office/R&D
Document Description
Construct a four-story 244,068 square foot data center building, including utility substation, emergency backup generating facilities (the BBGF), surface parking and landscaping and utility pipeline connections on a currently developed 5.12 acre site. The Bowers Data Center would be supplied electricity by Silicon Valley Power (SVP) through a new 72 mega volt-ampere electrical substation to be constructed immediately adjacent to the site as part of the data center. Project elements would also include switchgear and distribution cabling to interconnect the generator yard to the data center. Together these constitute the “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). To provide greater than 99.999 percent reliability, the data center would be supported by uninterruptible power supplied to the project during a utility outage via 32 2.75 megawatt (MW) Tier 4 diesel-fired emergency backup generators. The maximum capacity of the BBGF would be limited to 72 MW. The CEC has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants (50 megawatt [MW] and greater) and related facilities proposed for construction in California. Applicants proposing to construct thermal power plants between 50 and 100 MW may obtain an exemption from the CEC’s jurisdiction and proceed with local permitting rather than requiring CEC certification. Public Resources Code section 25519(c) designates the CEC as lead agency, in accordance with CEQA, for all facilities seeking an exemption. The CEC will not be approving the construction of BBGF, only determining whether the project can be exempted from the CEC’s jurisdiction.

Contact Information

Name
Ann M Crisp
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Job Title
Senior Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency

Location

Cities
Santa Clara
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
Citywide
Cross Streets
Bowers Avenue and Walsh Avenue
Zip
95051
Total Acres
5.12
Parcel #
216-28-063
State Highways
US 101, El Camino Real (SR 82)
Railways
Union Pacific, Caltrain
Airports
Norman Mineta Airport (SJC)
Schools
See Attachment A
Waterways
Calabazas Creek, San Tomas Aquino Creek, Saratoga Creek

Notice of Completion

State Review Period Start
State Review Period End
State Reviewing Agencies
California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marin Region 7 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, 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), 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, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
State Reviewing Agency Comments
California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
Development Types
Other (diesel backup generating facility and data center)
Local Actions
General Plan Amendment, lot line adjustment
Project Issues
Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation

Attachments

Draft Environmental Document [Draft IS, NOI_NOA_Public notices, OPR Summary Form, Appx,]
Notice of Completion [NOC] Transmittal form
State Comment Letters [Comments from state reviewing agencies]

Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit OPR’s Accessibility Site.

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