PulseAugur
EN
LIVE 18:22:52

Google partners with Voltus on virtual power plant for data centers

Google has partnered with Voltus to create a virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM Interconnection region, aiming to secure 100 megawatts of capacity. This innovative "Bring Your Own Capacity" (BYOC) model allows data centers to finance grid flexibility by aggregating distributed energy resources like batteries and smart thermostats. The initiative seeks to address the growing energy demands of data centers, particularly those supporting AI, by tapping into existing grid capacity rather than solely relying on new power generation or transmission infrastructure. AI

IMPACT This partnership could accelerate data center growth by providing a new method for securing grid capacity, potentially reducing reliance on new power infrastructure.

RANK_REASON This is a significant new approach to data center energy procurement, involving a major tech company and a novel grid flexibility model.

Read on Data Center Knowledge →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 2 sources. How we write summaries →

Google partners with Voltus on virtual power plant for data centers

COVERAGE [2]

  1. MIT Technology Review TIER_1 English(EN) · Casey Crownhart ·

    How virtual power plants could provide energy for data centers

    Would you take a payment to ramp down your electricity use? Would it change anything if you were doing so to help power a local data center? Google just signed a new deal to help pay for a virtual power plant (VPP) in the largest power grid in the US. The agreement is with Voltus…

  2. Data Center Knowledge TIER_1 English(EN) · Shane Snider ·

    Google Bets on Virtual Power Plants for Data Center Growth

    Google and Voltus launch a 100 MW capacity deal in PJM, testing whether hyperscalers can secure power without waiting for new generation or transmission.