The U.S. regulatory agency responsible for power grid stability stated that data centers Rising electricity demand is increasing the risk of widespread power outages in the United States this winter due to extreme weather events.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), a U.S. industry regulator, said in its winter assessment report on Tuesday that electricity consumption this winter is expected to increase by 20 gigawatts compared to the same period last year, as power supply has failed to keep pace with the growth.
One gigawatt (GW) is typically equivalent to the installed capacity of a nuclear power plant reactor. The report states, "Therefore, if North America experiences another severe winter storm similar to those that have triggered polar vortices in recent years, it could lead to energy shortages in the northwestern United States, Texas, the Carolinas, and other areas. Under normal circumstances, all regions have sufficient energy resources."
The NERC warning also covers "high-risk areas" in parts of the southeastern and western United States, including Washington and Oregon.
" Data centers have been the primary contributor to the significant increase in electricity load demand in these regions since last winter, " said Mark Olson, the company's assessment manager, in an emailed statement.
For years, the U.S. power grid has faced an increasing risk of blackouts due to the growing stress on aging infrastructure caused by severe storms and wildfires. Despite the challenges posed by utilities... The company and power producers have been working to develop weatherproof equipment, but a previous report by North American Power Reliability confirmed that many devices in the U.S. power grid still face risks.
And now, in artificial intelligence Driven by widespread adoption, the data center boom has revitalized the U.S. electricity sector, which had stagnated for 20 years. Growth has exacerbated this pressure. Winter is particularly dangerous because of solar energy... The battery has a shorter power generation time. The operation may be affected. Meanwhile, natural gas... Supply may be reduced due to frozen or restricted pipelines.
In February 2021, a cascading power grid failure in Texas left millions without power for several days and killed more than 200 people, a problem that has continued to draw attention ever since. The New England region in the northeast also continues to face a high risk of potential supply constraints from natural gas pipelines.
(Article source: CLS)
