Thought Leadership
Thought Leadership Pieces
The landscape for energy-data center nexus is constantly evolving. Stay informed on trends and engage with the EPRI community leading the change.
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Quick Insight - NERC Reliability Guideline: Risk Mitigation for Emerging Large Loads
This document summarizes the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) guideline on Risk Mitigation for Emerging Large Loads, focusing on the reliability challenges posed by data centers, cryptocurrency mining, hydrogen electrolyzers, and other power-intensive facilities. These loads in
White Paper - Integrating Data Centers into the Grid: Benefits of Flexibility and Strategic Siting
This study explores how strategic siting and load flexibility can accelerate data center integration while maintaining system stability. Using a stylized Texas grid model for 2030, we assess hosting capacity under different transmission and siting scenarios and evaluate four flexibility archetypes.
Integral- Large Load Flexibility Classification to Unlock Connection
Loads have limited visibility of the value its load flexibility can bring, making design for flexibility complex or undervalued. At the same time, electric utilities don’t have a common framework to recognize load flexibility’s value in decision making. Integral is a proposal for a universal, large
The Economics of High Load Factor Customers: How AI Datacenters Can Reduce System-Wide Electricity Rates
When high load factor customers—such as AI datacenters operating at 80-90% capacity utilization—connect to electrical systems with average load factors of approximately 55%, the fundamental economics suggest that rates for all customers should decline. Rate design, cost allocation methodology, incre
Infographic: AI Knowledge Factory
AI is evolving as not just a computational tool, but as a Knowledge Factory reshaping every sector in our global economy. We must frame our thinking from a different perspective- AI’s potential to drive significant GDP growth with remarkable energy efficiency. We continue to explore not just t
Infographic: Significant Compute Need for GenAI Infographic
Exponential computational need for AI starting in 2017. Mostly power is used to train the model. What we will do with the model, we still do not know.
Infographic: AI's Growth Curve Isn't Just Computational - It's Electrical
Jevon’s Paradox is the observation that even as technological advancements lead to efficiencies, technology is still consumed more. Will we be able to meet demand growth associated with AI despite efficiency gains in training the models?
Infographic: AI Is Evolving Before Our Eyes
In just five years, we move from cat level knowledge, to baby, to graduate student. Right now, AI is book smart. Where is this going? Knowledge AI, to Digital Workforce, to Physical AI.
Infographic: AI Revenue Evolution Moving Faster Than You Think
The way we have produced, regulated, and delivered power will have to change for this revolution.
Infographic: What History Tells Us About the Next Trillion Dollar Wave
Will the bubble burst? There are booms and busts associated with AI growth. History has many examples including the “fiber boom”- fiber was built but not used aka “dark fiber”. Historically there has been a pause between building infrastructure and application’s potential. AI’s curve appears to be
Infographic: Data Centers, Your New Grid Ally
EPRI’s DCFlex Initiative aims to demonstrate how data centers can support and stabilize the electric grid while improving interconnection and efficiency.
Infographic: De-Risking AI Infrastructure
Novel regulatory, financing, and policy innovations to meet demand and need for speed. Regulatory innovations focus on protecting the rate payers.
Infographic: Speed to Connect and Emerging Regulatory Guidance
Oct 23, 2025 - Department of Energy asked FERC to get in to streamlining interconnection. A landmark shift- recognition of need for speed and affordability or demand will go somewhere else.