Yahoo Gets Power for Buffalo Expansion

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The exterior of the Yahoo Computing Coop buildings in Lockport, New York. The data center opened for business today.

The New York Power Authority has approved an additional megawatt of hydropower capacity for Yahoo, which will allow the company to complete the second phase of its data center in Lockport, N.Y. The facility, which pioneered the Yahoo Computing Coop data center design, is part of an ongoing expansion of Yahoo's data center.

The new allocation expands upon the 15 megawatts of power capacity Yahoo acquired at the outset of construction at the Lockport data center. The first phase of the project, which opened in September, featured 155,000 square feet of data center space housed in three 120-by-60 foot prefabricated metal structures. The new 120,000 square foot phase, which is nearly complete, will feature two additional "coops" and be backed by approximately $130 million in investment for construction and IT equipment, according to the NYPA.

Affordable hydropower was one of western New York's key attractions for Yahoo, which has several additional data centers backed by hydro power in Washington state.

“The expansion plans of Yahoo demonstrate how the Power Authority’s resources can be the catalyst for improving and diversifying the economy of Western New York,” said John S. Dyson, NYPA trustee. “Yaho! has demonstrated its commitment to investing in New York State and to continuing to add new high-tech jobs. We are committed to working with Governor Cuomo to advance his Recharge New York agenda by using low-cost hydropower to support economic development efforts throughout the state.”

The Lockport data center will operate without chillers, which provide refrigerated water for cooling systems and are among the most energy-intensive components of a data center. The facility will use an evaporative cooling system during those 9 days a year when it is too warm to use fresh air. The buildings were positioned on the Lockport property to allow Yahoo to bring in cool air from either side of the coop, based on the prevailing winds.