Integrated Load Management Approaches

As grid operators and planners deal with a wave of new large loads on a resource-constrained grid, we need fresh approaches beyond just expecting reduced electricity use under stress (e.g. via recent PJM flexible load forecast or via Texas SB 6). While strategic curtailment has become a popular talking point for connecting large loads more quickly and at lower cost, this overlooks a more flexible, grid-supportive strategy for large load operators. Especially for loads that cannot tolerate any load curtailment risk (like certain #datacenters), co-locating #battery #energy storage systems (BESS) in front of the load merits serious consideration. This shifts the paradigm from “reduce load at utility’s command” to “self-manage flexibility.” It’s BYOB – Bring Your Own Battery and put it in front of the load. Studies have shown that if a large load agrees to occasional grid-triggered curtailment, this unlocks more interconnection capacity within our current grid infrastructure. But a BYOB approach can unlock value without the compromise of curtailment, essentially allowing a load to meet grid flexibility obligations while staying online. Why do this? For data centers (DC’s), it’s about speed to market and enhanced reliability. The avoidance of network upgrade delays and costs, along with the value of reliability, in many cases will justify the BESS expense. The BYOB approach decouples flexibility from curtailment risk with #energystorage. Other benefits of BYOB include: -Increasing the feasible number of interconnection locations. -Controlling coincident peak costs, demand charges, and real-time price spikes. -Turning new large loads into #grid assets by improving load shape and adding the ability to provide ancillary services. No solution is perfect. Some of the challenges with the BYOB approach include: -The load developer bears the additional capital and operational cost of the BESS. -Added complexity: Integrating a BESS with the grid on one side and a microgrid on the other is more complex than simply operating a FTM or BTM BESS. -Increased need for load coordination with grid operators to maintain grid reliability. The last point – large loads needing to coordinate with grid operators - is coming regardless. A recent NERC white paper shows how fast-growing, high intensity loads (like #AI, crypto, etc.) bring new #electricty reliability risks when there is no coordination. The changing load of a real DC shown in the figure below is a good example. With more DC loads coming online, operators would be severely challenged by multiple >400 MW loads ramping up or down with no advanced notice. BYOB’s can manage this issue while also dealing with the high frequency load variations seen in the second figure. References in comments. 

Study: Generators May Provide a Faster Path to Power A new study by energy researchers suggests that data centers could get faster access to power by adopting load flexibility, agreeing to briefly curtail utility usage and shift to generator power. In an in-depth analysis of the U.S. power grid, researchers at Duke University estimate that this approach could tap existing headroom in the system to more quickly integrate at least 76 gigawatts of new loads, arguing that even a small reduction in peak demand could reduce the need for new investments in transmission and generation capacity - as well as the need to pass on those investments to ratepayers. Data centers are all about uptime, and thus have been resistant to innovations that create additional risk around reliability. But current power constraints in key markets, along with growing demand for AI training workloads (which may be more interruptible than cloud or colocation) has prompted the industry to explore load flexibility options. Last year the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) launched the DCFlex project to work with utilities and a number of data center operators - including Compass Datacenters, QTS Data Centers, Google and Meta - on pilot projects for load flexibility. The Duke study, titled "Rethinking Load Growth," puts some interesting numbers on the upside potential. Their findings: - 76 gigawatts of new load could be enabled by a annual load curtailment rate of 0.25% of maximum uptime, equivalent to 1.7 hours per year operating on backup generators. - An annual curtailment rate of 0.5% (2.1 hours annually) could enable 98 GWs of new load, while a rate of 1.0% (2.5 hours) could boost that to 126 GWs. - A 0.5% curtailment could enable 18GWs in the PJM and 10 GWs in ERCOT, the research finds. At least one hyperscaler seems open to the idea. “This is a promising tool for managing large new energy loads without adding new generating capacity and should be part of every conversation about load growth,” said Michael Terrell, Senior Director of Clean Energy and Carbon Reduction at Google, in a LinkedIn post. With the acceleration of the AI arms race, speed-to-market is now a top priority, along with a competitive opportunity cost for companies that are unable to deploy new capacity. There are tradeoffs to consider (including more emissions), but the Duke paper will likely advance the conversation. Duke study: https://lnkd.in/eS3s_pvk Background on DCFlex: https://lnkd.in/euK746Zy

Connected technologies and appliances offer flexibility, giving customers the ability to shift their electricity use to cheaper times. This enhances affordability, providing customers information they can use to directly lower their energy costs through their own actions, and has the benefits of lessening stress on the electric grid, mitigating wear and tear on essential equipment and lowering the need for major utility capital investments that can lead to higher costs.    To further grow opportunities for these technologies, the Commission recently approved the annual Dynamic Load Management Order. The Order acknowledges year-over-year growth in existing load management programs across the State, and the important role of load flexibility today and in the future. Customers have enrolled 100MW of appliances in existing programs, making their energy use more affordable and enhancing system efficiency.   Building on the success of existing load management programs, the recent Commission Order approved the Bring Your Own Battery program, which allows many of the State’s utilities to compensate participants for using their battery storage systems to support the grid during periods of peak demand.   Details of the Department’s work is described in the Grid of the Future Proceeding, which is holistically evaluating the State’s flexibility potential. Analysis shows that by 2040, load flexibility in New York could avoid close to $3 billion in annual power system costs.    Distributed generation and flexible loads are no longer emerging concepts. They are key components of a modern, resilient, efficient grid, and are providing real value to New Yorkers. Read the recent Order here: https://lnkd.in/eNDiS7Wx   Read the Grid Flexibility Study Phase 1 Final Report here: https://lnkd.in/eJqmNKFA  Read the Grid Flexibility Study Phase 1 Final Report Technical Appendix here: https://lnkd.in/etpDGUd3  Read the Grid Flexibility Study Supplemental Analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eUhWRetE    

From 1 to 1,000+ Charge Points: ABB’s Scalable Load and Energy Management Solution Can one system really manage 1,000 charge points, integrate solar, batteries, grid power, reduce costs, and support V2G? This is exactly what I discussed in my interview with ABB’s Oliver Nauroth, Digital Sales Manager at Power2Drive 2025, where he explained ABB's Load and Energy Management Solution (dynovaPRO) for EV infrastructure and the challenges it solves. From public charging hubs to logistics companies and electric bus fleets, DynovaPro offers full site energy optimization. It doesn’t just dynamically shift loads but it manages the entire energy mix based on realtime demand, grid conditions, and cost efficiency. 💡 Here’s what we cover in just 11 minutes: ✅ Explanation of load management and full site energy management ✅ How ABB's solution can scale from 1 to 1,000+ charge points, integrating both AC and DC chargers from mixed vendors ✅ The Express Lane charging concept for logistics fleets ✅ Dynamic power allocation per vehicle and real time control ✅ Integration of dynamic electricity tariffs to lower costs ✅ Preparing for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) where EVs will play a role as grid stabilizers ✅ Public transport: syncing bus charging with departure schedules ⚡ Whether you're a CPO, fleet operator, public transport provider, or just looking to stay up to date with EV developments, this conversation is packed with real world insights to future proof your charging infrastructure. #EVCharging #emobility #EnergyManagement #VehicleToGrid #V2G #SmartCharging #FleetManagement #PublicTransport #Power2Drive #ABB #EnergyTransition #Logistics #BusDepot #EVLensbyHaseeb

Luminary Strategies, LLC has published a quick reference sheet up for operators, regulators, and planners figuring out new ways to incent investment in tech stacks that #datacenter loads should bring to the table to achieve #socioeconomic, #regulatory, and #AIinfrastructure goals. Each row shows a real strategy used in today’s grid environment, based on conversations, active business development projects, interviews with compute science experts, and our own work with EPC, developers, and hyperscale site design implementation teams. Our reference sheet looks at establishing a handshake between regulators and investment incentives for sustainable, flexible, reliable, grid-collaborative data center design and operation: accelerated interconnection, avoidance or deferral of Tx upgrades, better utilization of the built grid (at non-peak), improved onsite resilience and flexibility in load management. It covers technologies and approaches we are accustomed to seeing in the power sector too: constraint management plans, partial-firm power, robust all-in SCADA systems, site selection, network architecture. We'll keep updating the matrix and annotate updates as they come - much like our favorite battery report from Volta, the list will be iterative, and we will add lines, make improvements as we go! Access on the Substack: https://lnkd.in/e4xi6H3a