OpenAI will launch its Grid Protectors Program at a forthcoming data centre in Effingham County, Georgia.
The company intends to free up to 1,000 megawatts of power, which is sufficient to run air conditioners in approximately 700,000 homes.
OpenAI plans to pitch the construction of power plants for its new AI data centres as “a resource that utilities can call on when communities need it most.” OpenAI said it will continue to coordinate with utility services and policymakers to create arrangements for future campuses to lower electricity demand during periods of grid strain.
OpenAI is also collaborating with Oracle and SoftBank to develop its Stargate data centres across the United States. These Stargate locations include sites in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and Milam County, Texas.
A study by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) warned that powering proposed Texas data centre projects could reverse decades of air quality improvements within five years. Commissioners in Box Elder County recently approved a data centre projected to use more than double the state's peak electricity demand in 2025.
Several states, including Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, have passed legislation to stop AI companies from transferring energy costs to residents.
