The U.S. regulator responsible for grid stability said that rising power demand from data centers is increasing the risk of power outages in large areas of the United States during extreme weather this winter. U.S. industry regulator North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) said in its winter assessment report on Tuesday that electricity consumption this winter is expected to increase by 20 gigawatts compared with the same period last year as power supply failed to keep up with the pace of growth.
One gigawatt is typically equivalent to the installed capacity of a nuclear power plant reactor. The report states, “Therefore,If there is another severe winter storm in North America that triggers the polar vortex that has occurred many times in recent years, it may lead to energy shortages in the northwest United States, Texas, the Carolinas and other places.Under normal circumstances, energy resources will be sufficient in all regions. "
The "high-risk areas" covered by NERC's warning also include parts of the southeastern and western United States, including Washington and Oregon.
Mark Olson, the company's appraisal manager, said in an emailed statement: "Since last winter,Data centers are a major contributor to the substantial growth in electrical load demand in these regions."
The U.S. power grid has faced a growing risk of blackouts over the years as severe storms and wildfires put increasing pressure on aging infrastructure. While utilities and generators have been working to develop weatherproof equipment, previous reports from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation confirmed that many devices on the U.S. grid remain at risk.
Today, the pressure is exacerbated by a data center boom fueled by the spread of artificial intelligence that has fueled 20 years of stagnant U.S. electricity growth. Winter is especially dangerous because solar power is available for a shorter period of time and battery operation may be affected. Meanwhile, natural gas supplies could be reduced due to frozen pipelines or restrictions.
In February 2021, a cascading failure occurred in the Texas power grid, causing millions of people to be without power for several days and causing more than 200 deaths. Since then, the power grid problem has continued to attract attention. Northeastern New England also continues to be at high risk of potential supply constraints from natural gas pipelines.
