Generators Installed at Yahoo NY Site

There's just something about generators. They're the huge engines providing the last line of defense for the data center and the thousands of web sites inside. They're big, loud and powerful, and attract lots of attention during tours and installations.

And sometimes, they serve as a sign of bigger things to come. Last Friday the backup generators arrived at the new Yahoo data center in Lockport, New York. Three 2-megawatt gensets were installed, generating coverage in The Buffalo News.

"The generators, measuring 11 by 46 feet, were lifted off flatbed trucks by a crane supplied by Clark Rigging and Hauling of Lockport," The News reported. "They were placed atop 7,000-gallon diesel fuel tanks. (Cummins sales engineer Jay) Deshpande said one generator, one tank and a full load of fuel weigh a total of 170,000 pounds. Deshpande said an emergency generator will burn 143 gallons of diesel fuel in an hour. The power is produced by 60-liter, 2,500-horsepower engines."

Yahoo is building a $150 million data center on a 30-acre property in Lockport, which is expected to  create 125 local jobs paying $65,000 to $75,000 a year once its two-phase construction plan is completed. The first phase of construction is scheduled to be completed in late spring or early summer.

What does a generator installation look like? Here are a couple of videos that can give you an idea: