AI factories are the infrastructure of the intelligence era. Scaling them responsibly will depend as much on innovation across the grid as inside the data center. 

Today, Emerald AI, Google and NVIDIA announced the launch of the AI Energy Management Alliance (AEMA), a first-of-its-kind coalition advancing data centers that can dynamically manage their electricity use in response to grid conditions.

This power flexibility can help unlock faster, larger connections for AI infrastructure while supporting the energy systems and communities that make its growth possible. Getting more watts out of existing infrastructure reduces environmental impacts per watt and supports energy affordability.

The objective is clear: build AI infrastructure that doesn’t just connect to the grid but works with it.

Power has become a defining constraint on the expansion of U.S. AI infrastructure.

Traditional interconnection processes were designed around facilities with flat, static electricity demand. They weren’t built for computing infrastructure capable of responding intelligently when the power system is constrained.

A flexible data center can adjust its electricity drawn from the grid in several ways — shifting computing workloads, discharging storage, using paired generation or responding to system contingencies. These capabilities allow a large electricity customer to serve as a controllable resource rather than an inflexible load.

Used effectively, flexibility can make more efficient use of existing grid capacity, reduce demand during periods of system stress, and avoid or defer costly infrastructure upgrades. It can also give utilities and grid operators greater confidence to connect AI facilities on shorter timelines.

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