An energy podcast crossover: Energy Gang and Interchange Recharged join forces to discuss flexibility on the power grid: why it is so important, and how to create it
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Apr 29, 2025
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question_answer ANECDOTE
EPRI's Data Center Flex Initiative
EPRI's DC Flex Initiative includes hyperscalers like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon working on data center flexibility.
Demonstration projects are underway to test real flexibility and design future data centers accordingly.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Data Centers Have One-for-One Backup
Modern data centers have backup generation equal to their load capacity, usually diesel generators.
There's potential to use renewable fuels for these gensets to improve sustainability.
insights INSIGHT
Flexibility as a Necessity
Data centers may be forced to be flexible due to grid constraints despite a preference for 24/7 operation.
Collaboration between data centers and utilities can free up capacity by upgrading flexible appliances in homes.
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They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can’t quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie’s 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang, is joined by Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz’s principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged, to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular.
They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions at the non-profit research group EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, which aims to help power society toward a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy future.
Rob talks about a key theme in his work: the importance of flexibility on the electricity grid. Increased reliance on solar and wind power has created challenges in keeping the grid balanced and the lights on. Surging demand for electricity for new data centres to train and run AI models is giving rise to a whole new set of issues. More flexible demand and supply on the grid is increasingly valuable. But where can it come from?
Data centres don’t usually offer a lot of flexibility in their operations. People want to use ChatGPT and watch Netflix even at night and when the wind is low. So what can the hyperscalers do to create flexibility? Are virtual power plants an effective option? And how can the energy industry improve collaboration to find solutions that promote the clean energy transition while keeping prices down?
You can find Energy Gang wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Interchange Recharged with Sylvia Leyva Martinez for deep dives into the innovations that are accelerating the energy transition.
Energy Gang