DCFlex Initiative
David Porter is Vice President, Electrification & Sustainable Energy Strategy at EPRI.
As the demand for data processing continues to surge — with the growing reliance on artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and other digital technologies — the energy consumption of data centers has become a pressing concern.
Data centers, particularly those operated by or for hyperscalers, are poised to consume between five percent and nine percent of U.S. electricity generation by 2030, up from four percent today. This could create multiple challenges in the quest to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and ensure grid reliability.
Enter the DCFlex Initiative, a new three-year program led by EPRI. Launched in October, the initiative is designed to demonstrate how data centers can evolve into key resources in supporting and stabilizing the electric grid.
The initiative's overarching goal is to create a blueprint for integrating data center operational flexibility with the energy grid, setting the stage for a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable future.