US Energy Dept tells data centers to use backup generators during heatwave to free up power for AC usage
The directive aims to free grid capacity for air-conditioning as demand surges, and data centers use about 4% of US power, officials said.
- On the holiday weekend, power grid operator PJM Interconnection asked data centers across the Eastern Seaboard to switch to backup generators within 15 minutes of an emergency signal to free up electricity for residential and commercial customers.
- A heat dome locking in across the Eastern Seaboard has driven temperatures exceeding 38.9 Celsius in Washington and 37.7 Celsius in New York, prompting PJM—which serves 67 million people—to request the shift as grid operators battle massive overloading and surging air conditioning demand.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered large data centers to disconnect from the grid and use on-site backup generators, a directive that also applies to Duke Energy in the Carolinas, seeking to relieve pressure during the extreme heat.
- Grid operators sometimes use generators as "the last line of defense" to mitigate outages, though experts warn that firing up diesel generators during heatwaves could worsen local air quality, creating a tradeoff between reliability and emissions.
- Utilities and policymakers increasingly warn that rapid data center construction outstrips current electricity and water infrastructure, fueling local opposition in communities like Lowell and Bowling Green, Ohio, where residents cite concerns over noise, water consumption, and property values.
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US Energy Dept tells data centers to use backup generators during heatwave to free up power for AC usage
US Energy Secretary urges data centers to use generators, temporarily turning off grid connectionsDirty generators risk producing more emissions amid regional heatwave and increased AC demandData centers are clearly putting huge strain on local grids, which are struggling to copeUS Energy Secretary Chris Wright has ordered large data centers to switch from grid electricity to on-site backup generators during the ongoing East Coast heatwave, to r…
Heat adds to strains on areas with data centers, raising the temperature on AI debates
Hot weather of the kind sweeping the eastern U.S. drives up electricity demand for data centers, adding to their strain on power grids and worsening air quality for surrounding areas.
US Heatwave Strains Power Grid, Threatening Blackouts
A severe heatwave has blanketed much of the United States, pushing the nation’s power grid to its limits and leading to emergency measures to prevent widespread blackouts. Millions of Americans are under extreme heat warnings, with temperatures soaring and electricity demand reaching near-record levels. The country’s largest power grid operator, PJM Interconnection, which serves approximately 67 million people across 13 states and the District o…
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