Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence is fueling the growth of hyperscale data centers, which introduces significant challenges to existing power systems. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of these integration challenges, specifically from the perspective of power grid utility. We find that AI data centers function as a distinct load category, characterized by high power density, rapid and large-scale power transients, and specific power quality profiles. These attributes create difficulties for long-term resource adequacy and transmission planning due to mismatched development timelines. They also strain real-time grid balancing and introduce risks to system stability, such as voltage and frequency deviations and converter-driven instabilities. The analysis further covers the economic and environmental footprints associated with this new type of consumer. The paper concludes that safely integrating these loads requires a coordinated strategy, encompassing data center-side technologies, grid-enhancing solutions, and new policy frameworks.
Source: Energies
DOI: 10.3390/en19010137
Language: English
Subfield: Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7117469402