The grid’s new threat: When data centers drop off all at once

A new grid risk is emerging in America’s data center boom: what happens when dozens of massive facilities disconnect from the power grid at the same time, The Wall Street Journal writes. 

In two recent incidents in Virginia, clusters of data centers abruptly switched to backup power after high-voltage line malfunctions, instantly slashing electricity demand by thousands of megawatts and forcing grid operators to take emergency action.

While the system avoided blackouts, operators warn that larger, simultaneous drop-offs could destabilize power plants and trigger widespread outages. The concern comes as data centers rapidly expand, with projections showing they could consume up to 17% of U.S. electricity by 2030 and as much as 57% in Virginia alone.

Regulators, utilities and tech companies are now racing to address the growing “load-side” threat, as the very facilities straining grid supply could also jeopardize reliability by unplugging all at once.

The Wall Street Journal has the full story.