As Meta Platform begins construction on its new multi-billion dollar El Paso data center, El Paso Electric is working to rapidly build a power plant for the facility that ratepayers will pay for within a few years.
Filings with the Public Utility Commission of Texas show the utility plans to shift the power plant’s cost to all customers after an initial one- to five-year “bridge” period where Meta would pay all of El Paso Electric’s cost to deliver power to its data center. The nearly $500 million, 366-megawatt facility would rely on 813 small gas-fired generators that don’t require water but would emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
Meta executives on Thursday unveiled a massive expansion of its planned data center in Northeast – boosting its investment from $1.5 billion to $10 billion. The company also announced increased investments in the community, including job training grants and bill payment assistance…