The Modesto Irrigation District has safeguards in place to keep a large data center project from impacting local ratepayers, according to a board presentation Tuesday.
Jack Rodgers, pricing and risk management administrator for MID, told the board the district has received inquiries for “large-load” projects since 2018, ranging from 25 to 400 megawatts, including potential data center proposals.
Rodgers said data center developers are looking for sites near major metropolitan areas, where rates for available electricity are affordable. If the Modesto-based district receives an inquiry for a potential data center, the district only sees the electrical characteristics; it’s not provided with information on the data center type (such as artificial intelligence or e-commerce)…