Powering the campus · Fire spins a magnet; the magnet makes current.
Natural gas turbines
How the electrons are made · 1/5
Compress
Multi-stage axial compressors squeeze air to roughly 20–40 times atmospheric pressure.
Specifications
Natural gas turbines
Open the gas turbine in 3D →A gas turbine compresses air, burns natural gas in it and expands the hot gas through turbine blades that spin a shaft. The shaft turns a generator: a magnetic rotor inside copper coils. Combined-cycle plants recover exhaust heat to make steam and spin a second turbine. Fast to energize relative to grid upgrades, firm, but it emits.
| Aeroderivative unit | ≈30–50 MW each (LM2500-class ≈30–35 MW) | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Simple-cycle efficiency | ≈35–42% | Typical |
| Combined-cycle efficiency | ≈55–62% | Typical |
| Capex | ≈$720 (CCGT) to $1,680 (engines) / kW | Reported |
| Operating cost | ≈$26–50 / MWh, fuel-dependent | Reported |
| Land for 100 MW | ≈5–10 acres | Reported |
| Turbine lead time | ≈2–5 years in current market | Reported |
| Emissions | ≈0.35–0.55 t CO₂ per MWh | Typical |
- 01CompressMulti-stage axial compressors squeeze air to roughly 20–40 times atmospheric pressure.
- 02BurnNatural gas burns in the combustor at well over 1,000 °C, adding energy to the high-pressure air.
- 03ExpandHot gas expands through turbine stages, spinning the shaft at thousands of rpm (Brayton cycle).
- 04GenerateThe shaft spins a magnetized rotor inside stator windings. The changing magnetic field pushes electrons back and forth: alternating current at 60 Hz.
- 05Recover (combined cycle)Exhaust at ≈500–600 °C boils water in a heat-recovery steam generator; a steam turbine adds roughly half again more power.
Getting power
Connecting to the grid
Step 5 of 7 · Campus
Campus substation
Two or more large power transformers, each able to carry the load alone (N+1 or 2N). Every hall gets fed from two independent sides.
- Voltage
- 345 → 34.5 kV
- Transformer size
- ≈100–300 MVA each
- Redundancy
- N+1 or 2N
Sources: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Queued Up (2024 edition); FERC Order No. 2023; Brian Potter, How to Build an AI Data Center (IFP, 2024); Crucible Capital, Building a Datacenter Part I (2025); company announcements and press reports. Figures rounded and representative.
Side by side
| Source | Capex | Operating cost | Land per 100 MW | Firm? | Direct emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grid | Utility-funded / tariffs | Market price | Substation only | Yes, via grid | Regional mix |
| Natural gas | ≈$720–1,680/kW | ≈$26–50/MWh | ≈5–10 acres | Yes | Yes (CO₂, NOx) |
| SMR | ≈$4,000–6,000/kW (est.) | ≈$33–45/MWh | ≈10–20 acres | Yes | None |
| Solar PV | ≈$1,530–1,790/kW | ≈$24–39/MWh LCOE | ≈500–700 acres | No, needs storage | None |
| Onshore wind | ≈$1,430–1,810/kW | ≈$33–46/MWh LCOE | ≈3,000–5,000 acres | No, needs storage | None |
| 4-hour batteries | ≈$600–1,400/kW | ≈$104/MWh (24/7 solar case) | ≈1–2 acres | Hours | None |
Reported ranges from Crucible Capital, Building a Datacenter Part I (2025), citing EIA, NREL and industry sources. Costs move with markets; treat as indicative.