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US Energy Dept Mobilizes Data Centers Against Storm Outages
23 Jan
Summary
- US grid operators ordered to use backup power from data centers.
- This is an extraordinary step to prevent power outages during a winter storm.
- The move aims to address electricity shortages and high prices.
The U.S. Energy Department has issued an order directing grid operators to leverage backup electricity from facilities such as data centers. This directive is a critical measure to prevent potential power outages anticipated due to an upcoming winter storm.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that electricity providers should access backup power from manufacturing, retail, and data center facilities if their regional demand approaches blackout levels. This initiative is part of a broader, months-long effort to ensure electricity reliability and affordability, with potential application during peak summer demand periods as well.
This is an unusual step as data centers and businesses typically do not distribute energy to the national grid. The department is exploring ways to enable data centers to generate their own power, potentially lowering overall electricity costs.
