Texas data centers pose a winter power strain risk to the state's grid, according to a new report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The growing industry has significant implications for the state's ability to meet electricity demand this winter.
A winter storm in 2021 left over two-thirds of Texans without power for nearly three days, with many residents still worried about potential outages. The latest assessment suggests that data centers could be a key factor in strain on the grid, particularly during peak periods when these facilities operate continuously.
Data centers are not small or insignificant loads, as explained by Energy Ogre COO David Kinchen. "We're talking about refinery-type loads," he said, emphasizing their substantial impact on electricity demand. The number of data centers has grown rapidly, with nearly 100 registered in the state, up from just 13 before the winter storm five years ago.
While ERCOT has added capacity to meet growing demand, Kinchen noted that the state's ability to handle increased load will change if more data centers are connected. In January, the likelihood of outages is only one percent, but experts warn that this could shift as demand for electricity from these facilities grows.
For residents like Dolores Hidalgo, who has lived through a winter storm in 2021 and worries about power losses every year, the implications are dire. "I get worried that we're going to lose power and it's going to be for weeks, and we're going to be cold," she said.
As data centers continue to expand in Texas, experts emphasize the importance of ERCOT taking proactive steps to mitigate potential strain on the grid. With peak demand periods shifting due to continuous operations of these facilities, residents like Hidalgo will need reassurance that the state's power infrastructure can handle the growing demands.
A winter storm in 2021 left over two-thirds of Texans without power for nearly three days, with many residents still worried about potential outages. The latest assessment suggests that data centers could be a key factor in strain on the grid, particularly during peak periods when these facilities operate continuously.
Data centers are not small or insignificant loads, as explained by Energy Ogre COO David Kinchen. "We're talking about refinery-type loads," he said, emphasizing their substantial impact on electricity demand. The number of data centers has grown rapidly, with nearly 100 registered in the state, up from just 13 before the winter storm five years ago.
While ERCOT has added capacity to meet growing demand, Kinchen noted that the state's ability to handle increased load will change if more data centers are connected. In January, the likelihood of outages is only one percent, but experts warn that this could shift as demand for electricity from these facilities grows.
For residents like Dolores Hidalgo, who has lived through a winter storm in 2021 and worries about power losses every year, the implications are dire. "I get worried that we're going to lose power and it's going to be for weeks, and we're going to be cold," she said.
As data centers continue to expand in Texas, experts emphasize the importance of ERCOT taking proactive steps to mitigate potential strain on the grid. With peak demand periods shifting due to continuous operations of these facilities, residents like Hidalgo will need reassurance that the state's power infrastructure can handle the growing demands.
. I mean, we've already seen what happens when we don't have enough power to go around during winter storms... it's scary 
. And now we're telling ourselves that these massive facilities are going to be a key part of the problem? Not exactly reassuring 
. ERCOT needs to take proactive steps to address this issue ASAP, or we might see a repeat of 2021 
. I get that data centers are necessary for all our tech needs, but can't we find ways to make them more energy-efficient and less strain on the grid? 
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. now with data centers popping up left and right, i'm worried that we might not be able to handle the strain this winter 
. ERCOT needs to step up their game and add more capacity ASAP 
. we need proactive measures to mitigate potential strain, or else it'll be a repeat of 2021 
Data centers are growing like crazy and Texas is still reeling from those brutal winter storms a few years ago. I mean, ERCOT is trying to add more capacity, but it's not gonna be enough when we're talking about 100+ data centers churning electricity 24/7 
Can't we just fast forward to a world where renewable energy is all the rage and we don't need to worry about data centers straining the grid anymore? 
I mean, come on ERCOT, get your act together and add more capacity, stat! 
. I mean, think about it - we've seen what happened during that crazy storm in 2021 and now data centers are expected to be a major factor in grid strain? It's like, we're basically building more stress into the system, you know? With nearly 100 data centers already registered in Texas, it's getting ridiculous. I get it, they need power too, but can't ERCOT just build some more capacity or something? 
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we gotta get ready for the possibility of outages happening again, like in 2021 
i feel bad for Dolores and others who are already worried about it 
but at least ERCOT is working hard to add capacity, right? 
️ lets all be positive and hope everything works out 
ercot needs to step up their game and add more capacity ASAP 
anyway, experts say ercot should take proactive steps to mitigate the strain on the grid 
. Like, who needs power for actual people when you can power all those servers and whatnot? 
And honestly, 1% chance of outages might seem like a lot to some folks, but hey, that's just the thrill of living in Texas... where winter storms can leave you without power for days 
. Can't we just have some reliable electricity for once? 
. We need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, y'all! 
. I checked out the NERC report and it says data centers could be the reason for winter power outages 
. The state's gotta step up its game to handle this growth. 
Here are some stats to back it up:
& with 99+ registered data centers in the state, it's def makin things interesting...1% chance of outages in january but that could change w/ more facilities comin online 
she's already scared for her safety, we need to make sure ercot is ready for this peak season 
. we need to make sure the power infrastructure can keep up with the growing demands 
The more I think about this, the more it makes sense why Texas was so hard hit by that winter storm back in 2021. With all these new data centers popping up and staying on all the time, they're basically using up a lot of electricity, ya know? It's not just like switching on your phone or laptop, these places are like whole cities with lots of equipment and lights and stuff. And ERCOT is gonna have to add even more capacity to handle that, which is no easy feat.
like, data centers r not just tiny loads they got big impact on electricity demand 
" talk about stress 
. We're basically talking about a whole new level of electricity demand and ERCOT is still trying to keep up 