Data center developer Soluna Holdings plans to co-locate a 100-MW facility with a 145-MW wind farm in south Texas.
Soluna data centers engage in computation for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence models (AI), both of which are huge energy consumption sectors. The company signed a term sheet for wind power supplied to its Project Ellen.
The release did not name the wind farm development partner, but Soluna noted that the company is active both in the U.S. and internationally. Project Ellen will be developed in two 50-MW phases.
“With Project Ellen, we continue to prove that computing can be a powerful driver for renewable energy adoption,” said John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Holdings, in a statement. “This expansion in Texas reinforces our commitment to solving the challenge of underutilized green power while providing the infrastructure needed for the future of Bitcoin and AI.”
The Soluna release also does not say that the data center will be powered directly by the wind farm. Some corporate power purchase agreements do not involve direct renewable connection or on-site power, but rather supply financial investment to get wind and solar projects built.
Soluna says it soon will have close to 700 MW of data center capacity in operation, construction or development. Earlier this year, the company announced it had secured the Texas land needed to both build its newest facility and support 187 MW of wind energy to power AI and Bitcoin mining operations.
The company will co-locate its Project Rosa near a wind farm development in Texas. Albany, New York-based Soluna secured 60 acres for its planned AI and Bitcoin mining center to be powered by the adjacent renewable energy.
Cryptocurrency mining is a huge challenge for the traditional power grid. A recent Forbes story said that Bitcoin mining alone can consume 127 TWh per year, or roughly equal to the energy consumption of Norway.
