Nvidia leads AI effort to fix power grid strain

Nvidia has announced a new partnership with energy research group EPRI to address growing pressure on the electrical grid, a problem largely driven by the soaring power demands of AI technologies. The collaboration forms part of the Open Power AI Consortium, which also includes Microsoft, Oracle, and several major utilities such as PG&E and Duke Energy.

The consortium plans to develop domain-specific AI models that can help solve real-world power challenges in the US, from optimising grid operations to forecasting demand surges. These models will be open sourced to ensure accessibility for both academic and industry researchers. With data centres consuming ever-increasing amounts of electricity, the International Energy Agency predicts annual power demand could double recent growth rates, rising by 4% each year.

While tech companies are already investing heavily in renewable energy, Microsoft alone has secured gigawatts of solar capacity, grid issues can’t be solved by generation alone. Recent studies show that better managing electricity usage, particularly by shifting non-urgent tasks to off-peak hours, could free up substantial capacity.

It’s precisely these kinds of efficiency strategies that Nvidia and its partners hope to explore. By applying AI to the systems strained by AI itself, the consortium seeks not only to stabilise the grid, but also to support the tech sector’s rapid expansion without worsening energy bottlenecks.

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