Tech Giants, Developers And Utilities Team Up On `Flexible` Data Center Projects

A new consortium of the largest players in the data center and power sectors plans to build a series of “test hubs” across the U.S. to turn data centers from a threat to regional power grids into a tool for strengthening them.

An unprecedented wave of electricity demand from data centers is straining regional power grids, slowing the pace of new data center development, creating financial and reliability problems for utilities, and limiting the adoption of renewable energy.

As the scale and repercussions of this growing power pinch have come into focus, a growing chorus of prominent voices, including some from within the Biden administration, has called for a fundamental change in the way that data centers operate. Rather than simply consuming hundreds of megawatts of electricity, data centers could utilize their emergency generators to become “flexible loads,” capable of disconnecting from regional transmission networks and operating under their own power when utilities determine that excessive demand is pushing the grid toward failure...

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RSK: The demand for power for data centers is just going to keep accelerating especially with the growth on speed of computing chips. Small nuclear generators may help in the short run but there must be some answer on the computer end to manage the demand. Also, location to the power source will be critical. As in all real estate...location is the key.