AI Data Centers May Not Need Constant Peak Power, Study Finds

AI data centers can operate without using peak power continuously, according to the results of a UK trial, a finding that could have implications for electricity systems worldwide.

Grids from the US to Europe are grappling with a surge in applications from power-hungry data centers used to run artificial intelligence workloads. In the UK, some projects face waits of over a decade for grid access. Typically, these facilities apply for connections based on their maximum possible demand, requiring networks to build enough infrastructure to serve that peak load at all times.