Case Study: Hybrid Renewable and Gas Solutions Point to Energy Mix of the Future

The current surge in electricity demand is a rare opportunity, and a real responsibility, to build onsite energy solutions that accelerate a cleaner future. We’ve been vocal about how our configuration of wind, solar, batteries, and firming gas are the fastest, cheapest, most reliable solution for powering large electric loads. They’re also the cleanest solution.

Since the early days of Intersect, our view has been that high capacity factor, low cost, clean electricity is the future of our energy system. We’ve also been on record that firming gas will be critical in driving further renewable penetration for a long time to come. As demand for computing power accelerates, none of this has changed: deliver the energy needed today while maximizing the amount of cheap, clean energy the system can reliably handle. A prime example of this future grid solution is our off-grid Roman project in the Texas Panhandle.

The Panhandle has some of the best wind and solar potential in the country. The Roman Energy Center is deliberately sited, designed, and built around those renewable resources utilizing four core tenets.

Renewables-First: Roman’s primary power comes from wind and solar, backed by battery energy storage. Because of the project’s location, which has extremely high wind and solar capacity factors, this combination is designed to provide power with no additional backup for the majority of hours each year. Flexible gas reciprocating engines firm the generation when wind, solar, and batteries can’t carry the load. This hybrid design dramatically reduces carbon emissions compared to running gas ²⁴⁄₇. Our solution is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by at least half relative to the air permit application filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which assumes gas is running around the clock. We’ll do all of this without increasing electricity bills for ratepayers or local families. 

Low-Impact & Responsible Siting: We select project sites to first avoid, then minimize, and finally mitigate impacts to environmental health, natural resources, wildlife and their habitats. Sites like Roman are selected for their exceptional wind and solar potential and renewable expansion potential, and because they’re positioned safely away from urban areas, and sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Minimal Water Footprint: Water stewardship is vital in regions facing Ogallala Aquifer depletion. Roman uses closed-loop air cooling for the on-site data center, restricting local water use to minimal needs like dust suppression, the initial fill of the cooling system, and domestic facilities.

Ecosystem Restoration: Our commitment goes beyond clean energy. In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Sul Ross State University, we’re investing tens of millions of dollars—on top of Google’s $10M Texas Water Impact Fund commitment—to restore up to 50 nearby playa lakes. The work replenishes the Ogallala Aquifer for local farmers and municipalities while bringing native biodiversity back to a region that needs it.

Additionally, we’re working to address upstream emissions, minimize super-pollutants like SF₆, and invest in long-duration energy storage and other emerging clean technologies that enable even more innovative solutions. We’re doing all of this at scale right now, demonstrating that high-density computing and genuine environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.