Can we add dozens of giant new data centers to the electricity grid? New research says yes – if we embrace load flexibility.

Energy Gang

It’s the most talked-about academic paper this year in the world of energy. Rethinking Load Growth, co-authored by Tyler Norris of Duke University has caused a stir in energy circles because it offers a new perspective on the hottest issue of the moment: how to provide power for new data centers and other large consumers. With new sources of electricity demand growing rapidly – from data centers for AI to battery factories to EV charging networks – grid planners are scrambling to understand how to integrate large new loads without breaking the system or budgets.

That is the question for Rethinking Load Growth, and it delivers a startling insight: The US grid could absorb 98 gigawatts of new load, IF those loads can be sufficiently flexible. They would need to be curtailed for just 0.5% of the year, which is about 42 hours in total – not all in one go, but in blocks averaging a couple of hours at a time.

That kind of load flexibility could unlock faster, cheaper grid expansion, with big implications for investors, policymakers, and companies racing to develop new data centers and other facilities.

Tyler joins the show with host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers-Jaffe to discuss his research. They debate the questions:

• Why is his paper is causing so much interest in energy circles, and beyond
• What real-world adoption of flexible load looks like for data centers
• Whether virtual power plants (VPPs) are the missing piece
• And how governments and regulators could make or break this opportunity

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