Power Infrastructure
MW available, substation capacity, grid reliability, and redundancy.
Power Cost
$0.06/kWh
Grid CapEx
$30MM
Power Availability by City
Current Usage vs Available Capacity (MW)
Power Cost Comparison
Blended Rate ($/kWh)
Backup Power Economics (60 MW)
Tier 4 Diesel vs Natural Gas + BESS
Utility Structure
CPS Energy is vertically integrated (owns generation and wires), which simplifies the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) process compared to the broader deregulated ERCOT market.
Capacity Requirement
A 100 MW project requires a dedicated, on-site substation tapping 138kV or 345kV transmission lines.
Grid Connection CapEx
Total Grid CapEx for the 138kV substation: $30MM (front-loaded into Phase 1 for full 100 MVA capacity). This includes the private substation ($22MM) and expansion infrastructure ($8MM). Front-loading enables economies of scale for Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Power Costs
Estimated all-in rate for Large Industrial Primary Service is approximately $0.055–$0.075/kWh (blended), or modeled at $0.055-$0.065/kWh. This is 15–40% cheaper than Northern Virginia or California. High load factor AI workloads (>90%) drive the effective rate down.
Redundancy Mandate & Senate Bill 6
New regulatory frameworks (Senate Bill 6) allow ERCOT/Utilities to interrupt power to large loads during grid emergencies, creating a backup power mandate.
Backup Solution (Regulatory Compliance)
The recommended strategy is a Natural Gas Generator + Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) hybrid architecture. We plan to use Natural Gas due to the unlikelihood of getting Tier 4 Diesel approved under Bexar County's "Serious" Ozone Non-Attainment status. The Major Source threshold for NOx emissions drops to 50 tons per year (tpy).
Backup Power Economics
Total CapEx for 100 MW Backup Power is near parity: $157.5MM for Tier 4 Diesel vs. $159.2MM for Natural Gas + BESS. The 10-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is slightly lower for the Natural Gas + BESS hybrid: $171.0MM compared to $173.1MM for Tier 4 Diesel, while offering low permitting risk.