ECL CSC-1 brings modular FlexGrid architecture to Silicon Valley as grid interconnection timelines cause data center build delays and cancellations

ECL, a pioneer in sustainable modular data center infrastructure, today announced the development of CSC-1, a new 35MW data center powered by ECL’s proprietary FlexGrid architecture located in Santa Clara, Calif. The site combines multiple power sources, including on-grid electricity, hydrogen power, and natural gas, addressing surging demand for behind-the-meter, high-density AI compute in Northern California. S&P Global projects that US data center electricity will more than double from 61.8 GW in 2025 to 134.4 GW by 2030, while Bloomberg reports that half of all data center projects in the US this year will be delayed or canceled due to power constraints.

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ECL, a pioneer in sustainable modular data center infrastructure, today announced the development of CSC-1, a new 35MW data center powered by ECL’s proprietary FlexGrid architecture located in Santa Clara, Calif. The company's MV-1 facility in Mountain View is pictured here.

CSC-1 will support rack densities ranging from 75 to 270kW at launch. ECL's FlexGrid architecture interoperates with local utility grids, combining all available power sources to deliver a sub-1.15 PUE with low emissions. Its phased approach allows tenants to begin AI training and inference workloads within months, with additional capacity that scales alongside their demand.

CSC-1 Capabilities

• 35MW total facility capacity, phased from an initial 2.5MW deployment
• Rack densities from 75 kW to 270 kW at launch
• FlexGrid microgrid combining electrical grid, natural gas and hydrogen fuel cells for always-on, grid-independent operation
• Sub-1.15 PUE with low emissions using direct-to-chip, air, and hydrogen by-product water-based cooling
• ECL Lightning real-time management platform providing micro-adjustment control over power generation, cooling, and rack-level operations

Why Santa Clara, Why Now?

Northern California remains one of the most constrained markets for new data center power, with grid interconnection delays now representing a competitive threat, not just an inconvenience, to AI providers. Behind-the-meter power generation has shifted from a workaround to a mainstream strategy, and ECL's Santa Clara deployment arrives at a moment when both the technical need and regulatory acceptance for self-generated power have matured enough to support it.

ECL's approach differs fundamentally from grid-dependent builds. Instead of waiting years in interconnection queues, FlexGrid's modular power blocks can be deployed and scaled incrementally behind the meter, enabling AI operators to begin running production workloads while traditional facilities in the same market are still awaiting utility approvals. When hydrogen is used as a FlexGrid power source, as it is at ECL’s pilot MV1 facility, by-product water from hydrogen generation supplies the cooling loop, eliminating the freshwater draw that has also become a growing concern for data center operators in drought-prone California. The architecture is designed for Tier III-level reliability.

"A 35MW facility delivered in Santa Clara in under a year would have been unthinkable through traditional grid-connected development," said Yuval Bachar, co-founder and CEO of ECL. "Every major AI operator in the Bay Area is staring at the same math, with years-long interconnection queues pitted against AI deployment needs that are growing by the minute. By phasing growth through modular power blocks, ECL matches infrastructure deployment to the actual pace of AI demand rather than forcing customers to overbuild or wait. This site demonstrates that power architecture itself can become the enabling layer for AI scale rather than the constraint."

Availability

ECL is accepting tenant inquiries now. Prospective tenants can contact ECL directly through www.ecldc.com for capacity planning and site tours.

About ECL

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, ECL’s FlexGrid architecture enables rapid creation of data center infrastructure utilizing modular, energy-flexible design principles. The company introduced the world's first operational hydrogen-powered AI data center at its MV-1 site in 2024 and is scaling its FlexGrid architecture across U.S. and international markets. Backed by Molex Ventures and Hyperwise Ventures, ECL enables scalable, low-carbon compute for AI, high-performance, and edge workloads. For more information, visit www.ecldc.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421198659/en/

ECL, a pioneer in sustainable modular data center infrastructure, today announced the development of CSC-1, a new 35MW data center powered by ECL’s proprietary FlexGrid architecture located in Santa Clara, Calif.