Google's 250 MW Alviso Lab Campus Awaits San Jose Review
Google's proposed 483,000-sf, 250 MW campus at Disk Drive in Alviso is under San Jose review, with a CPUC hearing on its power deal set for Nov. 19.
- Source Briefing
- Public record
- Also reported by San Jose Spotlight
Google has applied to San Jose to demolish a warehouse and parking lot at 5079 and 5087 Disk Drive in Alviso and build up to three research and development facilities totaling nearly 483,000 square feet. The project is pending and has not been approved.
Why it matters
San Jose has described the site as a research and development lab and a large-energy-use project. The California Public Utilities Commission treats it as a data center, according to San Jose Spotlight. The blueprints reportedly show an onsite substation, a switching station with three transformers, generator yards and cooling stations. The label matters because San Jose’s draft data center standards, which cover noise, emissions and audits, are due for a council vote in December, and projects approved before then are exempt.
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The numbers
The project would draw 250 megawatts. Against 483,000 square feet, that is about 518 watts of grid capacity per square foot, our own arithmetic from the reported figures. Google would advance $150 million upfront for transmission and grid upgrades and be reimbursed over 15 years through ratepayers, according to the CPUC as reported by the outlet. The city plans to rely on environmental reports from 2000 and 2013 rather than a full new environmental impact report. This is the same interconnection cost test we covered in Google Faces $150 Million PG&E Bill for San Jose AI Power, where the draft resolution is E-5455 on PG&E Advice Letter 7785-E.
What’s next
The CPUC is set to hear the power agreement on Nov. 19, after delaying a decision since the summer. San Jose Planning says the project is still under review with no hearing scheduled, and it could reach a planning director’s hearing as early as December. The environmental review has not been published and will precede any hearing. The District 4 councilmember has said he expects any approved project to meet the standards the council sets. Follow the broader pipeline on the San Francisco hub. We could not locate a public San Jose planning file number for the project, so the city’s own project list is the place to check status.
Quick answers
- What is the latest on Google in San Francisco Bay Area?
- Google's proposed 483,000-sf, 250 MW campus at Disk Drive in Alviso is under San Jose review, with a CPUC hearing on its power deal set for Nov. 19.
- What are the key numbers for Google?
- proposed power demand: 250 MW; up to three buildings: 483,000 sf; upfront grid advance: $150M; CPUC hearing on power agreement: Nov. 19.
- Where does the information on Google come from?
- The story cites San Jose Spotlight and California Public Utilities Commission.
On the record
250 MW across roughly 483,000 sf of proposed buildings works out to about 518 watts of grid capacity per square foot, our arithmetic from the reported figures
Our data · sanjosespotlight.com
Primary record
- California Public Utilities CommissionDraft Resolution E-5455 on PG&E Advice Letter 7785-E
Also reported by
- San Jose SpotlightGoogle data center could be approved before San Jose sets standards