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The extensive computing power and complex algorithms needed to train AI — not to mention the cooling systems needed to keep data centers running — entail significant electrical consumption. As a result, tech giants like Microsoft are looking for ways to reduce reliance on strained electric grids. Green hydrogen could be the next big thing.
Sometime, somewhere, the power is going to go out. Maybe for a few minutes or a few hours. Starting with Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, most Texans have endured a blackout longer than a day. Outages of that length aren’t just inconvenient. They’re expensive, destructive and life-threatening. Texas energy provider Enchanted Rock helps to mitigate the aftershocks of grid failure.
Meeting the growing demand for electricity while maintaining reliability and avoiding higher costs is a huge challenge, especially as we push for cleaner, low-carbon energy sources. But there’s also a solution that is starting to get much-deserved attention—large load flexibility enabled by natural gas backup generation.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications and their massive energy demands have created an urgent power gridlock problem (pun intended!). As a result, data centers, particularly hyperscale facilities powering AI systems, now require unprecedented electricity consumption rates.
A boom in renewable microgrids is helping cities across the country keep the power on. Microgrids can be connected to the larger grid to share and distribute power, but by definition they’re self-sustaining, at least for a certain amount of time. As their popularity grows, sustainability has become an increasingly appealing option for new microgrids, which are “essential building blocks” for a resilient energy system.
Houston is currently in the midst of an unprecedented population boom. Its metro area added nearly 140,000 residents in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Additionally, the city has become a significant hub for many industries, from data centers to finance institutions to businesses in the energy and healthcare sectors.
With extreme weather conditions plaguing the nation and the world, businesses might naturally worry about their ability to keep the lights on and the doors open. While they can’t prevent hurricanes, wildfires, and snowstorms, some businesses are looking for more reliable options for power supply that can withstand outages on public grids.
In recent years, it seems as though unexpected storms and other natural disasters have become a more serious threat than ever to both people and businesses. Luckily, many public officials are starting to understand the importance of prioritizing energy resiliency.
Power supply is a hot topic, not only because businesses and individuals are heavily reliant on electricity but because increasingly frequent and extreme weather events are responsible for a growing number of outages.