Texas is rapidly growing as a focal point for enormous data centers. Companies such as OpenAI are establishing large campuses, like the Stargate campus located outside of Abilene. These data centers run day and night, which puts pressure on Texas' electricity grid, especially during cold weather or freezing temperatures.
Imagine having hundreds more data centers. That represents even further electricity use and blackouts could be more likely during extreme cold.
Not, however, all these projects will get approved. Many of them are just plans or ideas reached by developers, and over half of the plans haven’t even completed planning studies. The approved plans also do not represent the claimed 7.5 gigawatts that the projects will add to the generation mix, but these are still significant additions to the use of electric grid.
Why Winter is Risky
Do you recall Winter Storm Uri in 2021? Millions of people were without power, and more than 200 people lost their lives due to the cold, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other medical problems. It occurred because the amount of electricity drawn by heating increased while many natural gas plants failed.Imagine having hundreds more data centers. That represents even further electricity use and blackouts could be more likely during extreme cold.
Big Data Center Boom
Texas has received over 220 gigawatts worth of requests to connect to the grid, a substantial increase from earlier in the year. Approximately 73% of those requests are data centers. To put that in perspective, if all were built they would use enough power for 154 million homes, and in the U.S., Texas only has 30 million people.Not, however, all these projects will get approved. Many of them are just plans or ideas reached by developers, and over half of the plans haven’t even completed planning studies. The approved plans also do not represent the claimed 7.5 gigawatts that the projects will add to the generation mix, but these are still significant additions to the use of electric grid.