Bridge power
Power to start before the grid arrives
A new data center or industrial park can be ready to operate before its grid connection is. Bridge power is an on-site plant that supplies the energy in the meantime, designed from the start to become backup or part of the permanent solution.
What bridge power is
So you do not have to wait for the gridConnecting a large load depends on studies, works and approvals the project owner does not control. Meanwhile, the building or the park may be finished and without enough power to operate.
Bridge power covers that gap with on-site generation: gas engines, solar with battery storage (BESS) or a combination. It is not a temporary plant that gets thrown away: it is sized with its role after the grid arrives in mind.
GIS Power develops, builds and operates it, and can finance it as a service: the client pays for the energy delivered for as long as it needs it.
When it is not a fit
- When the grid connection has a near date and the initial load fits within the existing service.
- When the site has no natural gas access and no room for solar, and the load is large.
- When continuous operation requires a permit that cannot be obtained in time: then a phased start is the better route.
How it is built
Three ways to put power on site
Depending on load, fuel and timelineGas-fired generation
Natural gas engines delivering continuous power. Where there is thermal demand, the heat is recovered as steam or chilled water.
Solar with BESS
GIS Power’s signature as primary power. It cuts fuel and engine hours, and stays on as part of the permanent solution.
Hybrid
Solar, BESS and engines run by a single control system, for continuity with less fuel.
Permits
Emergency use is not the same as continuous operationEmergency
No permit
A plant for your own use only during emergencies or interruptions needs no permit, regardless of capacity (Electricity Sector Law, art. 19).
< 0.7MW
Exempt
A plant under 0.7 MW is an exempt generator and needs no permit (art. 19).
≥ 0.7MW
Permit required
A plant running continuously at 0.7 MW or more needs a generation permit from the CNE, Mexico’s energy regulator (art. 19).
0.7–20MW
Simplified process possible
Grid-connected self-supply, under the CNE’s guidelines (art. 30).
Electricity Sector Law (Ley del Sector Eléctrico), DOF 18-Mar-2025, arts. 19 and 30.
Bridge power is, by definition, continuous operation: if the plant is 0.7 MW or larger, the permit is on the project’s critical path. That is why the conversation starts early, alongside the interconnection request. See permitting and development.
How it moves to the permanent solution
The bridge plant is not wastedThe role of each piece of equipment after the grid arrives is decided at the design stage: engines can stay on as backup or as cogeneration, and solar with BESS continues as primary power.
- Start-up
On-site plant for the first phase of load, permitted if it runs continuously at 0.7 MW or more.
- Grid connection
The grid arrives. The plant synchronizes with it or moves to backup, as designed.
- Permanent solution
Solar and BESS as primary power, the grid and engines as backup, and operations with contractual availability.
Where it is used
Data centers
The first data halls start on site power while the grid connection is completed. See Green Data Center.
Plant expansions
When the new load exceeds the capacity of the existing service.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my emergency plant as bridge power?
Only within the legal limit. Emergency generation is permit-exempt (Electricity Sector Law, art. 19), but running continuously at 0.7 MW or more requires a CNE permit.
What happens to the plant when the grid arrives?
It depends on the design: it can synchronize with the grid, stay on as backup, become cogeneration or, for solar with BESS, continue as primary power.
Do I have to buy the plant?
Not necessarily. It can be contracted as energy as a service or under a power purchase agreement, with terms of 48 to 180 months depending on the structure. See contracting models.
What if the plant exports surplus to the grid?
Surplus can only be sold to CFE, and an intermittent plant that exports must have its own backup or pay for it (art. 32).
Let’s talk about your project
Location, initial load and expected interconnection date: that is where we start.
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