Latest / Tech Unfiltered with Dr. Mike
When AI Data Centers Make the Grid Flinch: 3.1 GW Vanished
A single transmission-line fault in Northern Virginia caused roughly 3.1 gigawatts of data-center demand to disappear in about 30 seconds. The grid did not black out, but the shared response exposed a coordination problem that matters as AI infrastructure grows. Dr. Mike explains what happened, how the grid balances supply and demand, why individually sensible safety systems can create a regional disturbance, who may pay for new infrastructure, and four practical ways to make very large AI loads better grid citizens. Key takeaways: • PJM recorded more than 3 GW of load disconnecting, about 3%…
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