Planning for and Operating an Electric Grid with Large Loads

Across the world, there is a surging load growth driven by the rapid deployment of Large Loads such as data centers, cryptocurrency mining, hydrogen production, and industrial manufacturing. These Large Loads represent a paradigm shift in electric grid planning and operations, as these loads reach sizes never before seen. In the past, system demand used to be more distributed, with the largest ones reaching several hundred megawatts. Now these loads can reach the gigawatt scale and eclipse the size of the largest generators on the grid. These new loads tend to be power-electronic driven and can be highly variable, with the capability to ramp in seconds to their full capacity. With the increasing deployment of emerging Large Loads, there are numerous new challenges for planning and operating the grid. With this article, I will cover how loads are changing, the risks they pose, and lay out a path on how you can begin to reliably integrate Large Loads into your grid.