Microgrids

Since 2008, Steel Nation has Designed/Built over 2,200 Energy projects, bringing clean, affordable and abundant natural gas to power plants, households, and businesses throughout America. Utilizing these proven high density power technologies to energize Microgrids critical for data centers, hospitals, universities, military bases, villages, and businesses, a reliable, uninterruptible energy source supplies power 24/7/365.

Witnessing the collapse of traditional electric grids in all parts of America, owners and developers are now realizing the importance of upgrading infrastructure to include traditional, reliable energy technologies such as natural gas and nuclear to power their increasing needs. In a modern world that demands triple redundancy of power, we specialize in bringing natural gas to your facility to power reciprocating generator sets and larger turbine engines, ranging from colocation 20 MW location data centers up to and including, large hyperscale data centers that can require over a gigawatt of on-site reliable electricity to run AI facilities.

Steel Nation MicroGrids will work with your team to project manage and direct:

Match your facility with wholesale natural gas providers rather than high priced retail gas utilities.
Pipeline design and construction from mainline transmission.
Compressor stations, processing plants and even well sites to ensure redundancy for your operations.
Design/build of interconnects, including POD (Point of Delivery), metering, control and regulator stations.
Design & permitting: site, buildings, environmental & air permits.
Design of high density power plants to exceed your electrical usage projections, utilizing both reciprocating and turbine engines.
Turn key construction of large buildings hosting multiple engines, with enclosed Switchgear/Motor Control Center (MCC)/Power Distribution Center (PDC) rooms, and the efficient cooling of these electrical rooms to ensure safety.
Cooling of these very hot engines, well above the 6 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) of the National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) Codes. Our goal is always less than 20 degree rise from ambient temperatures.
Site selection and land development through our partner Saga companies.
Safety First – For Life!

DALL·E 2024 10 22 10.35.56 A Detailed Interior View Of A Microgrid Building Featuring Three Large Industrial Generators. The Space Is Modern, Well Lit With Overhead Fluorescent

Saga Companies: Site Selection & Land Development

Steel Nation, through our partner Saga Companies, works with Microgrid & Data Center Developers and Owners to select sites based on proximity to Natural Gas Transmission Sources, as well as Well Sites and Processing Plants. We also work closely with Fiber Optic providers in managing Fiber Optic availability, redundancy and installations.

The Saga Companies specializes in Industrial sites & development along with behind the meter & microgrid development to provide necessary redundant power for on-site users.

Electrical Grid Failures, and Solutions:

Most American Electric Grids are at full capacity. The power demand from AI, Electric Vehicles, and the electrification of large scale industrial equipment has left data centers with very little choice but to create their own Microgrids. While Diesel Gensets have been used as back up power for decades, owners and developers need a cleaner alternative in Natural Gas that can power these huge electrical demands that simply are too large for Solar, Wind and Batteries. Data Center developers often talk of Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) in battery storage, but in reality, these battery systems will only run for minutes or an hour, if and when the entire electrical grid fails.

Steel Nation Microgrids are a true UPS, providing a continuous supply of power, not a back up power system. Compared to the obsolete use of Diesel Gensets & Batteries used as a “Backup,” these Natural Gas Reciprocating Engines and Turbines run 100% of the power, 100% of the time, utilizing back up engines for redundancy. Economically, there is no comparison – Wholesale Natural Gas has always been cheaper than electrical power, and will always remain so, due to its High Power Density properties.

Why Gas-Fired Electricity from Microgrids will Privilege Data Centers

“Data Centers: More Gas Will Be Needed To Feed U.S. Growth”

Michael V Grande, S&P Global (10/22/2024)

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DALL·E 2024 10 12 09.46.56 Overhead View Of A Large Data Center With The Roof Removed, Revealing Rows And Rows Of Servers Inside. The Building Is Vast And Rectangular, Filled Wi

Sustainable Land Use:

Microgrid and Data Center Owners take pride in their use of Solar and Wind (as they should!) but these intermittent power sources have serious environmental problems as compared to Clean Natural Gas. Do you realize that for every 1 MW of solar power, you will need at least 5 Acres of Land? Compare the tiny footprints of Reciprocating and Turbines need:

50 MW Microgrid/Data Center = 0.6 Acres Reciprocating | 0.25 Acres Turbine | 250 Acres Solar

100 MW Microgrid/Data Center = 1.2 Acres Reciprocating | 0.50 Acres Turbine | 500 Acres Solar

500 MW Microgrid/Data Center = 6.0 Acres Reciprocating | 2.50 Acres Turbine | 2,500 Acres Solar

Think about the Colocation and Hyperscaler providers in explosive growth Loudoun County Virginia, that has been the fastest Data Center growth area in America. On what were once beautiful farmlands, does Loudoun County have any rural areas that can support 2,500 acre Solar Arrays? Or even 250 acres? Of course not.

“Data Centers Tap Pipelines for Onsite Natural Gas Generation”

Co-locating gas-fired generation and data centers is gaining traction.
Kevin Clark, Power Engineering (10/10/2024)

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Are Natural Gas Microgrids Environmentally Sound?

Compared to Coal produced electricity, Natural Gas is a relatively clean burning fuel. Natural gas is abundant, economical and readily available in most of the USA (sans the deep south, and New England). Modern energy efficient Gensets now have lower emissions as compared to coal fired electricity. The new technologies in Combined Heat Power (CHP) recovery has made Natural Gas even more environmentally favorable, and when you factor in the small footprint of the land needed, is now the favorable power source for Developers, REITs and Hyperscalers. Microsoft’s recent announcement of the purchase and start-up of Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Reactor #1, Nuclear Power is now back in the equation, although most are projecting it will take 8 to 10 years to attain permits and constructed for it to be fully functioning.

Natural Gas Microgrids are the fastest to Market:

While Nuclear Power could take 8-10 years and most American Electrical Grids have a 3 year application process to review solar companies to sell back excess electricity to the grids. Steel Nation Microgrids can be up and running 11-12 months after local building permits are attained. Depending on the manufacturer of Reciprocating Engines, we can usually have these delivered in 7 Months. During this time, we would perform all Site Clearing, Pipeline Interconnects, Utility Connections, Foundations, Steel Building Erection, Cooling, Air Handling, Sound Mitigation, Cranes, Electrical, Mechanical and other divisions. After the Gensets arrive, we install into the new Smart Power Building, and will need 3-5 months to perform final hookups, safety analysis, final startups and commissioning. If Steel Nation Microgrids is selected to design and build the Clean Rooms, a similar schedule would take place, allowing 1 year for commissioning.