One fallen power line exposed a growing AI data center problem. Here’s how to fix it.
A power line outage in Washington, DC, caused a 3.1 gigawatt drop in load on the PJM grid, leading to voltage spikes and flickering lights across the region. Data centers, which account for about 3% of total demand, struggled to balance supply and demand after the sudden load drop, highlighting the impact of such disruptions on the grid. To address this, ON.Energy has developed a system that allows data centers to absorb power fluctuations without disconnecting, using excess power to charge batteries, helping to prevent sags or surges that could trigger disconnections.
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