A Phoenix land developer wants to help bring a $33 billion data center complex to the Grand Canyon State.
Vermaland LLC has to figure out the exact process for installing infrastructure that is expected to include “up to 3 gigawatts” of power capacity at the site, according to Kuldip Verma, CEO at Vermaland.
The site is “just outside” the city of Eloy south of the Phoenix area and could have a solar power plant adjacent to the data center project, Verma said.
The proposed solar plant could fully power data centers at the 3,300-acre complex, Verma said. The project would include a “hybrid energy system” that would combine solar, natural gas, battery storage and grid connectivity for continuous operations, according to a press release.
“We are working on getting infrastructure in place,” Verma said.
Vermaland is a Phoenix-based company that has helped to recruit more than 100 solar power companies to the state since 2008, Verma said. The company currently has about 25,000 acres in its metro Phoenix-area portfolio.
Arizona is a hotbed for data center development. Arizona data centers generated $539 million in economic output in 2020 and supported more than 2,500 jobs in construction and operations, according to Vermaland. The industry contributed at least $85 million in state and local tax revenue, the company stated.
While going green for power is a possibility, local renewable energy experts have expressed concern amid the July 1 passage of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that is expected to significantly slash green energy credits and strip solar and wind energy of its appealing prices.
Brent Ruffner joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2021 where he writes about developments at TSMC and Maricopa County issues, including election topics.
He's written about stories that range from accusations that a Mesa monkey breeding facility is unsafe to what to do if you encounter a rattlesnake in the desert.
Community: He is a supporter of the American Cancer Society.
Education: Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University, May 2007.
Random Fact: He met former San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays at a Phoenix Firebird game after winning a contest for an autographed baseball.
Hobbies: Hiking in the woods and collecting sports memorabilia.
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