Full Title: How Data Centers Can Set the Stage for Larger Loads to Come
Author(s): Alexandra Gorin, Roberto Zanchi, and Mark Dyson
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date: May 3, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Many utilities are turning to gas as a solution to address load growth, reporting to add 16.9 GW of new gas generation between 2023 and 2027. However, they have other options. Data center load growth could exceed $100 billion in annual investment directed toward the energy system; this can influence the types of generation, siting decisions, and cost allocations that will be used to meet it. Data centers can help reshape the energy landscape and set a precedent for larger loads to come from electric vehicles (EVs), onshoring industry, manufacturing, and building electrification.
Data centers, due to their growing power demand, can set a precedent for how to handle load growth in a way that supports the grid and ensures reliable, resilient, carbon-free electricity.