OpenAI pitches data center power plants as a way to protect nearby areas

OpenAI announced on Monday that it will pilot its "Grid Protectors Program" at an upcoming data center in Effingham County, Georgia, pledging to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power during extreme weather or emergencies—enough to power air conditioners in roughly 700,000 homes. The announcement comes as opposition to data centers spreads across the US, driven by massive projects built with little or no input from local residents. In Utah, residents protested after Box Elder County commissioners approved a data center expected to consume more than double the state's peak electricity demand in 2025 and spread hot air in the surrounding desert valley. OpenAI's approach is to pitch the construction of power plants serving its new AI data centers as "a resource that utilities can call on when communities need it most." Several states, including Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, have enacted laws meant to prevent AI companies from passing energy costs on to residents, along with moratoriums and other restrictions. A recent Houston Advanced Research Center study warned that powering proposed Texas data center projects could undo decades of air quality gains in just five years. OpenAI, which has taken to calling its data centers "compute campuses" to distance them from their poor public reputation, claims it helps reduce costs for customers by operating year-round, with steady demand spreading the grid's fixed costs and flexibility allowing it to cut demand when the system is busiest. The company says it will continue working with policymakers and utilities on arrangements to reduce electricity demand when the grid is under strain. Besides Georgia, OpenAI is partnering with Oracle and SoftBank to build "Stargate" data centers across the US, including in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and Milam County, Texas.

(Source：The Verge)