Google strikes first virtual power plant deal to free up 100 megawatts as US data center electricity demand strains grid

Google this week financed a program with a 'virtual power plant' startup that will pay households and businesses to curb electricity consumption at certain times, freeing up 100 megawatts of power for parts of the country's grid.

Federal officials have suggested breaking up the country's largest electric grid operator over rising power bills and its failure to keep pace with AI data center demand; one regulator stated she has 'great appetite for aggression' when such challenges endanger the US' lead in the AI race.

Ballooning electricity demand from AI data centers in the US is pushing companies and regulators to consider unorthodox and aggressive solutions.