OPINION | For a grid connection, form a disorderly line

When Uptime Intelligence published its prediction, Grid demand will require active participation from data centers, in December 2024, we did not intend to be forecasting the present, but with AI driving investment and transformation, the pace of change was already moving quickly.

It has long been known that data centers will require more power than many utilities or grid regions can currently provide, leaving some operators facing long queues for power. Some hyperscalers and large colocation operators have partnered with utilities and developers to deliver power to their new data centers, but the industry as a whole has fallen short of bringing forward new power generation or demand management proposals to support its growing footprint. Similarly, few utilities or legislators expected or demanded operators to do so.