BRATTLEBORO — This article about the proposed Vernon gas plant has stimulated much thinking.
Ever since Yankee announced closure, many wondered what, if anything, would replace it.
It's a wonderful opportunity for investors who can successfully answer that question. The existing (and newly renovated) switchyard pictured in the article constitutes an “injection point” where up to a gigawatt of electricity can be supplied to the grid for distribution over already robust transmission lines to markets in New England, New York, and even Canada.
But, I ask, is that the highest and best use for this resource?
If power can be supplied at that point, it can also be withdrawn.
Huh? What could be done with such power?
One of the currently fastest growing industries is a data center, which Wikipedia defines as “a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It generally includes redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression) and various security devices. Large data centers are industrial scale operations using as much electricity as a small town.”
State-of-the-art data centers consume 50 to 100 MW, and they need to be near a source of that energy.
This suggests that as many as 10 independent data centers could be created in Windham County (and even in nearby Massachusetts and New Hampshire). The only requirement is that they be near a transmission line.
Possible sites could include Exit 1 Industrial Park, Bob Johnson's Delta Campus, Famolare Field, various sites in Vernon, and even the defunct Home Depot and Fulflex properties in Brattleboro. (These sites are all near high voltage lines or substations.)
Windham County could become the new Data Center Capital of the United States.
Oh - and did I mention jobs?