OpenAI pilots Grid Protectors Program at Georgia AI campus

OpenAI announced on Monday that it will pilot its "Grid Protectors Program" at an upcoming data center in Effingham County, Georgia. The company promises to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power during extreme weather or emergencies, enough to power air conditioners in around 700,000 homes. The announcement comes as opposition to data centers spreads across the US.

Pilot in Georgia

OpenAI says it will pilot the program at the upcoming data center in Effingham County. The company promises to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power during extreme weather or emergencies, enough to power air conditioners in around 700,000 homes. OpenAI's approach is to pitch the construction of power plants that feed the electricity required by the new AI data centers it's building as "a resource that utilities can call on when communities need it most."

Backlash and state rules

Opposition to data centers has spread across the US in response to massive projects that have begun development and construction, frequently with little or no input from local residents. In Utah, residents protested after Box Elder County commissioners signed off on a data center expected to consume more than double the state's peak electricity demand in 2025, and spread hot air in the desert valley surrounding the data center. Several states, including Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, and others, have enacted laws that say they will prevent AI companies from passing energy costs on to residents, in addition to moratoriums and other restrictions. A recent study by the Houston Advanced Research Center said that powering proposed Texas data center projects could undo decades of air quality gains over just five years.

OpenAI's grid argument

OpenAI has switched to calling its AI data centers "compute campuses" in an effort to separate from their poor public reputation. It claims it helps reduce costs for customers by operating year-round. "Electricity demand also rises and falls with the seasons, with different regions facing their biggest peaks at different times," OpenAI's announcement says. "Our compute campuses need power year-round. With the right agreements, that steady demand can help spread the grid's fixed costs across more electricity sales, while flexibility lets us reduce demand when the system is busiest." OpenAI says it is going to continue working with policymakers and utility services to make "arrangements for our future campus to reduce electricity demand when the grid is under strain."

Stargate expansion

Along with its data center in Georgia, OpenAI is also partnering with Oracle and SoftBank to build its "Stargate" data centers across the US. The listed locations include Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and Milam County, Texas.

Sources: The Verge