The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday directed North America’s grid watchdog to propose reliability standards for data centers by year’s end amid fears that tech industry demand is posing increasing risks to the electricity system.
The move could significantly change how the giants of AI use power. It’s the latest example of federal regulators grappling with surging power demand, including its potential to damage the grid and trigger outages.
At its monthly meeting, FERC directed the North American Electric Reliability Corp. to develop criteria this year to “register” data centers. That would open the door to enforcing strict compliance with rules designed to keep the lights on across the country. FERC Chair Laura Swett said the new deadlines are pivotal for addressing grid challenges in a “timely manner.”
“We must ensure that the critical work of winning the AI race does not threaten reliability in our country,” Swett said.
