"Datacenters are blocking other energy users from connecting to the grid by over-reserving capacity in case they need it for future growth, according to a new report. Advisory body Uptime Institute says that power use in modern datacenters tends to remain largely constant, with significant changes in demand typically coming from business expansion. To allow for this, operators often reserve significantly more power than they require, which prevents other users from being allocated that capacity by the grid, even though it is not actually being used."
"Because grid service is typically granted strictly on a first-come-first-served basis, this leads developers to reserve capacity for projects that may never get built, and bit barn owners in particular to apply for more grid power than their immediate needs require so as to accommodate future growth and mitigate year-on-year planning uncertainty."
Datacenters often reserve far more grid power than immediately needed to accommodate potential future growth, leaving that capacity unavailable to other users. Grid expansion faces long approval and planning processes, so service is commonly allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, incentivizing speculative reservations that may never be used. Increasing electrification of manufacturing and transport raises competition for constrained capacity. AI-focused datacenters add further complexity because training workloads can produce frequent, significant load variations unlike steady traditional facility usage. Some governments are introducing measures to curb speculative grid requests and prioritize capacity for high-value or ready projects.
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