San Antonio is getting a green data center

CityNAP became the first “green” data center in Texas by signing a new contract with CPS Energy to purchase all of its power from renewable wind sources, reports San Antonio Business Journal (link via Environmental Protection Leader). “A center like ours uses a lot of energy, so we do everything we can to reduce our environmental impact by using the most energy-efficient equipment and purchasing renewable energy,” says CityNAP President Frank R. Robles.

CityNAP is a 10,000-square-foot load-neutral data center and internet hub in downtown San Antonio, which is emerging as an attractive market for data center locations due to its combination of affordable local electricity and low risk of natural disasters. However, there was no network access point in San Antonio that provided connections to network service providers.

Robles is a telecommunications industry veteran, an employee of the pioneering ISP company NetCom, and later the founder of Yipes Communications, a metro network provider. Graham Weston, executive director of San Antonio-based managed hosting company Rackspace, encouraged Robles to set up NAP in the city. CityNAP now offers a selection of connectivity from carriers including AboveNet, AT&T, Level 3, Verizon, Time Warner Telecom and XO.

CPS Energy says renewable energy from wind, solar and landfill gas now accounts for 11 percent of the utility’s peak electricity demand.