From the source
OpenAI says it will pilot a "Grid Protectors Program" at an upcoming data center in Effingham County, Georgia, promising to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power during extreme weather or emergencies.
- The company says that is enough to power air conditioners in around 700,000 homes.
- The announcement comes as opposition to data centers spreads across the US, with residents protesting projects that often proceed with little or no local input.
- In Utah, residents protested after Box Elder County commissioners signed off on a data center expected to consume more than double the state's peak electricity demand in 2025.
- Several states, including Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon, have enacted laws to prevent AI companies from passing energy costs on to residents, alongside moratoriums and other restrictions.
- OpenAI, which now calls its data centers "compute campuses," says steady year-round demand can spread the grid's fixed costs across more electricity sales, and that it will keep working with policymakers and utilities on reducing demand when the grid is strained.