Switch recently proposed a 510-megawatt natural gas power plant on a 20-acre site within the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center.
Nexus Fulcrum LLC filed an application for the project with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in June. Switch recently disclosed in a filing that it is the “intended off-taker” and “ultimate owner” of the proposed power plant.
If approved, the power plant will be constructed on the former Sierra Biofuels Refinery within the 107,000-acre industrial park in Storey County. TRIC is larger than Detroit. According to a packet prepared by Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc., the equipment used for the refinery is currently being removed.
The packet goes on to say, “Natural gas will be supplied to the site from an interconnection with a new lateral to the Great Basin Pipeline system. Great Basin will construct the lateral pipeline. Water and wastewater services will be provided by the Tahoe Reno Industrial General Improvement District.”
The power plant is intended to provide the energy necessary for data centers. It will utilize nine gas turbines.
PUCN held a hearing on Oct. 14 to discuss the proposal, which received public pushback. Opponents of the power plant encouraged PUCN to conduct full environmental reviews of the project.
If approved, construction is anticipated to begin in Q1 2027, with a completion date slated for Q4 2029. The construction process is estimated to use roughly 10,000 to 20,000 gallons of water/day. The life cycle of the power plant would use 47 million gallons of water/year.
This comes as data center developers are looking into private power plants to bypass energy queues. Data center developers can wait two to three years to receive the power necessary for their facilities.
PUCN recently approved two temporary gas power plants proposed by Fleet Data Centers in September.
