Behind-the-Meter Power for Data Centers: Speed, Independence, and Scale
Why Data Centers Are Turning to Behind-the-Meter Power
Data center loads demand power that is reliable, predictable, and scalable. As hyperscale and colocation projects move faster than utility interconnection timelines can accommodate, developers are increasingly turning to behind-the-meter (BTM) power plants built on-site to serve the facility directly. Rather than waiting on a utility queue, a BTM strategy puts generation, controls, and power delivery under the project’s own timeline.
Wikota Electrical Services designs, integrates, and installs the electrical infrastructure behind these power plants, working alongside affiliates Wikota Design & Construction LLC and Wikota Fab Solutions LLC to deliver power, electrical, and utility infrastructure for mission-critical data center projects.
What Behind-the-Meter Power Delivers for Data Center Projects
Speed to Market
A behind-the-meter power plant is built and controlled on the project’s own schedule, expediting timelines that would otherwise be tied to utility interconnection queues and grid capacity studies.
Grid Independence and Resiliency
On-site generation provides uninterruptible power regardless of local grid capacity or instability, giving data center operators direct control over the reliability of their power supply.
Scalability
Modular deployment allows power infrastructure to be aligned with phased data center build-outs, adding capacity in step with compute growth rather than committing to a single fixed build.
Wikota's Behind-the-Meter Power Experience
Wikota’s power, electrical, and utility infrastructure scope for data center clients includes:
- 46MW of installed gas turbine experience
- Integration of natural gas turbines and reciprocating engines with backup fuel systems, including LNG and diesel
- Electrical load analysis, power island design, controls, and redundancy
- Battery energy storage system (BESS) integration and installation
- Permitting assistance
Part of an Integrated EPC and Electrical Platform
Wikota Electrical Services operates as part of an integrated engineering, procurement, and construction platform alongside Wikota Design & Construction LLC and Wikota Fab Solutions LLC, with in-house civil, mechanical, electrical, and process capability. A dedicated fabrication facility supports the platform by reducing field welding, which helps control cost escalation and delivery timelines on power infrastructure projects.
The team brings 80 years of combined engineering, design, and construction experience to data center power projects, with zero recordable incidents in company history.
Frequently Asked Questions - Behind-the-Meter Power for Data Centers
What is behind-the-meter power for a data center?
Behind-the-meter power refers to an on-site power plant that generates electricity directly for a data center facility, rather than drawing solely from the local utility grid. It gives the facility a dedicated, controllable power source.
How does behind-the-meter power reduce data center project timelines?
Because the power plant is built and controlled by the project team, it is not subject to utility interconnection queues or grid capacity studies, which can otherwise add significant time to a data center's path to energization.
Can behind-the-meter power scale with phased data center build-outs?
Yes. Behind-the-meter power infrastructure can be deployed in modular phases, allowing generation and electrical capacity to grow alongside a data center's compute build-out.
Does Wikota provide permitting support for behind-the-meter power projects?
Yes. Permitting assistance is part of Wikota's scope for behind-the-meter power infrastructure, supporting projects from planning through construction.
Ready to discuss behind-the-meter power infrastructure for your data center project?
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