Article

A study evaluates the feasibility of powering a datacenter at Los Angeles Airport using only solar panels and batteries. With 1 million solar panels and a 600 MWh battery, the system can handle a 26 MW load for 54 hours before requiring grid support due to a 25% reduction in solar output from cloud cover. The total cost of the solar and battery system is estimated at $395 million, significantly higher than a natural gas turbine plant at $50 million, with ongoing fuel costs contributing to a total of $168 million over 30 years.