Data centers for AI will need to embrace flexibility if our electricity system is going to cope. How can large loads support the grid?

<p>AI is adding to US electricity consumption at a pace not seen in decades. That demand growth is creating new strains on the grid in many parts of the country. But what if AI could instead help keep the system running?&nbsp;</p><p>Varun Sivaram is a founder &amp; CEO of Emerald AI and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He says that far from undermining the grid, AI could actually save it. If we can enable AI data centers to provide flexibility during times peak stress, they can become a powerful ally for reliable, affordable, and clean electricity.</p><p>Earlier this year, the Energy Gang hosted a conversation with Tyler Norris of Duke University, author of an influential paper assessing the potential for large flexible loads in the US electricity system. He argued that if grid operators could ask data centers to dial back the power consumption when the system is under strain, those new facilities could get online faster without waiting for long transmission and gen...