Hardware Podcasts

The potential for flexible data centers

Catalyst · 27 Mar 2025 · 31m

What this episode covers

Tyler Norris, a PhD candidate at Duke University and former VP at Cypress Creek Renewables, explains how flexible data center loads could add up to 98 gigawatts of new capacity to the US grid by curtailing 0.5% of annual load. He details strategies like deferring training runs, spatial flexibility, and using bridge power as peak shaving backup to avoid building new firm generation. The study, conducted across 22 major balancing authorities, suggests that existing grid infrastructure has significant spare capacity if load is managed to avoid system peaks. Norris argues that faster interconnection times in exchange for this flexibility are the key value proposition for hyperscalers.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Duke University, EPRI, EnergyHub, UCR, PG&E, Southern California Edison, Duke Energy, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, EIA, E3
Also
Project Stargates

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