OpenAI is testing a program designed to reduce its data centers’ electricity use when local demand peaks. The company says its Grid Protectors Program could help ease pressure on power grids while allowing data centers to connect and begin operating without waiting for additional power sources to become available.
The program is being tested at OpenAI’s planned campus in Effingham County, Georgia. The company says its 3.2-gigawatt agreement with Georgia Power includes 1,000 megawatts of flexible demand response, which would let the campus reduce its power consumption when needed.
OpenAI says it intends to work with utilities to determine how much electricity its facilities can cut, how quickly they can do so and how long the reductions can last. The details would vary by location, and the company says it will share further commitments as they are finalized.
The approach, known as demand response, involves large electricity users lowering consumption when demand elsewhere rises. While such arrangements have been used for decades, newer technology can automate reductions. The source reports that data centers can reduce their load in under a minute and that Nvidia has tested a similar system in the UK.
Sources: Tom's Hardware.