WSJ has an article interviewing Southern Company CEO, Tom Fanning. The title could be interpreted as what is sustainable needs to be safe.

Tom Fanning: The Natural Gas Skeptic

'Nobody can sit here and tell me that it's going to be safe forever, safe in terms of economics and reliability,' says the Southern Company CEO.

...

Mr. Fanning sat down with the Journal editorial board recently amid "an historic shift" in the electric industry. King Coal is in twilight. For decades it was the engine of the U.S. power system, delivering nearly 60% of net generation by the 1980s. Southern illustrates the new reality; the share of its generation mix from coal has plunged to 35% in 2012 from 70% only five years ago. Meanwhile, gas has climbed to 47% from 16%.

Consider some of the points made in this article if you are thinking of creating your own microgrid for a data center. Do you have to be a power provider as well as a data center provider?