Some Concerns on the Prospect of Adding a Fleet of Micro Data Centers to Existing Grid Infrastructure
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: : The emerging strategy of co-locating micro data centers with transmission substations is widely marketed as an elegant solution to AI power bottlenecks. However, this architecture couples two distinct optimization systems—algorithmic compute dispatch and transmission grid stability—without a unified control layer. Because data center workloads can shift in milliseconds while utility secondary frequency control operates on 4-second cycles, localized perturbations can trigger destabilizing power oscillations and synchronized algorithmic herd behavior across major interties. This memorandum outlines the nonlinear control failures inherent in distributed compute fleets and highlights why conventional static scenario planning fails to capture dynamic cyber-physical network risks.
Author: Sundstrom, Andrew
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223149337