Enchanted Rock keeps the power on for businesses, critical infrastructure, and communities
Founded with the simple mission to protect against unexpected power outages and ensure uninterrupted operations, no matter the circumstances, Enchanted Rock has gone on to set the standard for Electrical Resiliency-as-a-Service. The business started in 2006 with a focus on solving local reliability challenges in Texas. “Our goal was to make backup power both reliable and affordable for critical facilities,” explains Allan Schurr, COO at Enchanted Rock. “What we do is quite straightforward: we help customers that can’t afford downtime – data centers, hospitals, manufacturers, utilities, government facilities – keep the lights on when the grid goes down, whether it’s from extreme weather, equipment failures, or even cyberattacks. The way I see it, we’ve simplified resiliency for our customers. They get dependable power and peace of mind, while at the same time we’re helping strengthen the grid as a whole.” 
This confidence is delivered via the operation and maintenance of natural gas fueled microgrids on behalf of customers. Customers benefit from resilient, always-on power without taking on the capital or operational responsibilities themselves. Allan gives more details on the impressive functionality of its microgrids, which do more than just ‘sit on standby’. “Unlike traditional diesel generators, which sit idle most of the time, our systems can be dispatched to support the grid during periods of stress or imbalance. By running frequently and at full capacity, our microgrids achieve 99.999 percent combined reliability, ensuring the performance and uptime that mission-critical operations demand.”
Intelligent systems
Over time, Enchanted Rock has evolved beyond a single service model. Today, it also works through utility partnerships, supports customers who choose to own their generators, and provides a variety of tailored microgrid and energy solutions. Furthermore, predictive monitoring through the organization’s proprietary software platform GraniteEcosystem™ helps minimize downtime. Allan describes this as the intelligence that underpins its microgrids. “It integrates real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and automated dispatch to ensure systems run at peak efficiency and are always prepared for seamless transition during an outage. By capturing and analyzing data across a distributed network of assets, GraniteEcosystem can forecast market and grid conditions, anticipate potential disruptions and optimize the performance of onsite generation, solar, storage and other resources. This layer of digital orchestration enables our microgrids to scale, adapt, and deliver both customer reliability and broader grid support without interruption.”
When it comes to fuel, Enchanted Rock’s operational sites utilize natural gas, which provides reliable, long-duration power while eliminating diesel and leveraging existing infrastructure. “Natural gas removes the need for onsite fuel storage as well as the risks associated with refueling, while still delivering the performance required,” explains Allan. Beyond operational advantages, when combined with renewable natural gas (RNG) offsets, the systems achieve carbon-neutral operation. “This approach is part of a broader portfolio that includes solar and storage – helping organizations balance cost, reliability and sustainability,” Allan notes.
The Microsoft San Jose project exemplifies this integrated approach as California’s largest microgrid using natural gas with RNG offsets. “With this approach, natural gas provides cleaner local emissions than diesel alternatives and the RNG offsets bring the system to carbon neutral, while delivering reliable power and a lower environmental impact,” Allan explains.
The project goes beyond traditional backup power. The microgrid actively supports the California grid by reducing its load during peak demand periods – providing valuable capacity relief without impacting Microsoft’s operational needs. “The San Jose microgrid demonstrates how critical infrastructure can combine reliability, advanced controls, and sustainability, turning a traditionally passive backup system into an active, carbon-conscious grid asset,” Allan notes.
With data center projects such as this becoming an increasingly common feature of the construction landscape, Enchanted Rock also stands ready to assist large energy users in handling one of their biggest challenges – interconnection delays. “Wait times for new grid connections, which were previously one-to-two years, are now stretching past five years due to the growth of manufacturing, electrification and AI-driven data centers,” Allan reveals. “Our Bridge-to-Grid solution gives data centers and other large energy users a power source that can be deployed quickly, allowing them to move forward with construction and operations on their own schedule rather than being constrained by grid availability. Once the permanent grid connection is in place, the system can remain onsite to provide backup power and support the grid during periods of stress.”
Active approach
Beyond customer deployments, Enchanted Rock partners with utilities. “For example, we work with Entergy on their Power Through program, providing resiliency to critical infrastructure customers, stabilizing the grid, and enabling them to serve new large loads without impacting their existing customers,” says Allan. “These collaborations show how resilient power not only keeps businesses running, but also supports broader community needs, ensuring essential services are operational when they’re needed most. They also give us the chance to refine our technology in real-world conditions, build credibility across markets, and position us to meet the growing demand from customers in all industries that need reliable, resilient, and flexible power solutions.”
Allan’s emphasis on this active approach ties into a broader shift in how backup power is perceived. “Traditionally it was treated as a sunk cost – a generator that only runs when the grid goes down. Our Resilience-as-a-Service model shifts that view by making resilience an active, managed solution that provides value beyond emergencies,” he explains. “Looking ahead, we’re working with regulators and policymakers to integrate resiliency, economic growth, and sustainability into grid planning. In the next three-to-five years, we envision becoming the partner of choice for resilient, flexible, and cleaner power across North America,” Allan states. “Microgrids are no longer just for backup – they’re a core part of modern grid infrastructure that helps balance renewables, relieve congestion, and improve overall system reliability.
“Access to power is becoming critical to our national competitiveness and economic growth. The combination of climate risk, aging infrastructure, and rising demand means every organization needs a strategy for sustainable power. At Enchanted Rock, we’re proud to be leading the way in making that strategy achievable.”