The Data Centers LLC is criticizing a report from a consultant to the city of Newark, citing a lack of input from the company and a misunderstanding of its plans.
Data Centers has proposed a data center and accompanying power pant that could carry of a price tag of $1.1 billion.
The release of the report from Liberty Environmental was touted as a major setback to the project by Residents Against the Newark Power Plant.
The group has fought efforts to build the center on the University of Delaware STAR campus and recently filed made an appeal to Superior Court over a city Board of Adjustment decision that ruled zoning was proper.
“The Data Centers, LLC was not invited by the the city of Newark to participate in that review, nor was the Data Centers, LLC asked to answer even the most basic questions by anyone from Liberty Environmental, Inc. for their document,” according to a statement released by company spokesman Ken Grant.
“For example, the Liberty report asks whether the co-generation facility can be considered a CHP facility if the University does not purchase steam, but fails to recognize that the data center itself will also be using steam for cooling purposes and therefore the facility does qualify as a CHP facility,” the statement continued. “The report also observes that the turbine and engine configuration is not typical of a base load generating facility, suggesting that this is a problem; however, as TDC has consistently stated, its facility is not designed as a typical base load power plant precisely because it is not a base load power plant. Rather, it is designed to provide uninterrupted power to the data center computer equipment, which calls for a number of smaller turbines and engines than a standard base load power plant. Had Liberty chosen to discuss matters with TDC before issuing its report, these questions and others could have been easily answered.”
“The Data Centers, LLC is happy to address questions raised by the Liberty document that City Council might have,” the statement added.
After reviewing the consultants report it is clear to me that he does not understand the operations of the power plant and data center, and that his recommendations are intended to discredit and postpone the project.
Thank you Mr. Berringer! My husband is also a PE with 41 years of power plant experience – he thinks tht TDC are liers, deceivers and incompetent. The people of this town, the university faculty and the city of Newark wish Gene Kern would take him “dream” and stick it where the sun don’t shine!
We run both points of view, unlike those opposed to the Data Centers project.