Utilities, energy system analysts and ERCOT expect exponential growth of data centers and other large loads in Texas over the next several years. ERCOT forecasts 138 GW of large loads on its grid by 2030, up from 87 GW this year.
Even if only a fraction of proposed data centers get built, the boom could threaten grid reliability during the spring and fall months, when many thermal generators go down for planned maintenance, Aurora Energy Research said earlier this month.
What an odd phrasing. Doubling full time power loads for data centers(and BTC mining) strengthena the grid, it is a 24/7 virtually perfect base load they can count on and dump power too.
It is the residential and commercial sectors which are causing them issues much more off and on loads.
The fragility on display here is that there is great demand for electricity (i.e. via compute centere), whereas base power generation has been crippled for decades.
The lawmakers attempt above is to constrain the risk of increased grid demand, as blackouts are politically unpopular, and potentially life threatening.
Agree that predictable large scale demand is good for utilities.
Ah, gotcha.
