OpenAI announced the Grid Protectors Program on November 2, a national initiative under which its future data center campuses will reduce electricity use when local power grids are under strain. The company said it will agree with utilities on how much power each campus can give up, how quickly, and for how long, with terms varying by location. Some sites may also send power back to the grid from on-site generators or batteries.
The first application is OpenAI's planned 3.2-gigawatt campus in Effingham County, Georgia. Under a 25-year contract approved in August, Georgia Power can cut up to 1,000 megawatts of demand from the site during busy periods. OpenAI said 1,000 megawatts equals the average demand of about 700,000 homes. The company will pay the full cost of the power lines and service the campus needs.
Georgia Power has said that flexible demand lets it build less new generation than it otherwise would. The utility expects agreements with large customers such as OpenAI to save its customers about $950 million a year starting in 2029.
OpenAI acknowledged that flexibility cannot replace new power plants and transmission lines. The company has not named other sites for the program.
The announcement follows pressure on data center developers over electricity costs. Rising power bills have stalled projects in several states, Congress has weighed requiring large users to pay for grid upgrades, and the White House has asked builders to sign a voluntary pledge to cover their own power costs. Google and Nvidia have formed a separate alliance aimed at making data centers adjust their power use to grid conditions.
Source: The Next Web - https://thenextweb.com/news/openai-grid-protectors-program-demand-response-georgia