满足数据中心需求激增

The surge in U.S. data centers is colliding with grid reality. AI, cloud and high-performance computing are rewritingdemand curves. Developers are lining up 100- to 300-MW sites while utilities work within limited grid capacity. As of April 2025, more than 1,800 facilities are already live, with the next wave clustering in Virginia, Texas and Georgia.1 By 2030, data centers could add 150 TWh to 250 TWh of demand, roughly the electricity to power about 15 million to24 million U.S. homes. This will require about 50 GW of new generation capacity.2 The question is one of speed and fairness:How do we quickly energize large sites, keep them on the gridand share costs in an equitable way? This paper outlines what works now: power-first site selection, earlier flexible interconnections and proven ways to movemore power on existing lines. GEP experts translate these moves into a simple playbook for developers and utilities. Get to Energization Faster With Power-First Siting Gigawatt-scale data centers face a hard limit: backup systems rarely cover the full load during a grid interruption.Most sites pair high-density uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems with a utility interconnection to ride throughvariable, high-intensity demand. Scale is rising. Typical hyperscaler builds have moved from 50–100 MW per site to 100–300 MW per site. That shiftfavors locations near generation that can meet large power needs and be available quickly. Utilities often cannot addnew generation within a short construction window, so developers look for power where it already exists. Many large data centers are adjacent to solar, wind, or hydro assets, or add fuel cells to support the load. Fuel cellsgenerate electricity through electrochemical reactions using hydrogen or natural gas; they are quiet, low-emission andscalable. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are at an early stage of commercialization, yet they promise carbon-free,high-capacity supply as the technology matures. Real-world examples show how this works in practice. Intersect Power, Google and TPG Rise Climate are addingdata-center capacity by placing sites near clean generation and storage. Co-location reduces the need for majortransmission and distribution (T&D) upgrades, eases congestion, and improves reliability and affordability forcustomers. The trade-off is system-wide: behind-the-meter installations can constrain a utility’s ability to plan larger generationand T&D expansions that benefit the entire service area. Start Sooner With FlexibleConnections Similarly, advanced power flow control devices canreroute electricity from congested lines, thereby improvinglocal reliability. By employing these technologies, utilitiescan get around the need for extensive infrastructureupgrades. To counter this shift toward on-site power, utilities areoffering flexible connection programs that let data centersbegin operations before full capacity is available. PG&E’sFlex Connect Pilot speeds up interconnection in areaswith limited grid capacity. Program design is evolving in tandem with flexibleinterconnections and grid enhancements. Distributedenergy resources (DER), distributed capacityprocurement (DCP) and virtual power plants (VPP) givedevelopers reasons to remain on the utility grid. This program allows customers, whose full capacityrequests might be denied, to have partial grid access ifthey reduce or shift their electricity usage during specifichours. This enables faster data center operations andbetter grid utilization. Notably, DCP programs allow utilities to use data centersas host sites for distributed assets, offering compensationand facilitating grid upgrades with minimal customerinvestment, such as Georgia Power’s program thatincludes automatic backup power and demand responseoptions. Utilities are also using grid enhancement technologies(GETs) to expedite data center grid connections throughadvanced tools designed to enhance the real-timeefficiency and capacity of existing electrical infrastructure.For example, dynamic line rating systems enable utilitiesto monitor transmission lines in real time and safelyaugment their power-carrying capacity under favorableweather conditions. VPP arrangements are also popular with data centers,as they leverage flexible loads through onsite backupgeneration systems, such as battery energy storagesystems, for aggregated demand response. This providesdata centers with performance payments or bill creditswhile supporting grid reliability and renewable energyadoption. These partnerships advance utility goals for gridmodernization and decarbonization while helping data-center operators reduce costs, mitigate outage risk, andstrengthen sustainability performance. As utilities scalethese programs, standardized grid integration via modularconstruction becomes the fastest path. generator units, utilities can quickly deploy thesesystems based on customer demand. This also ensuresstraightforward integration with the grid via st