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Intelligent Utility
Kinsey Grant Baker
Kinsey Grant Baker
Energy Central Team
·Posted in Intelligent Utility

NEWS: Portland General Electric invests in AI-powered flexibility to speed data center connection

Portland General Electric is using AI to squeeze more capacity out of its grid, allowing data centers to plug in years sooner. (Utility Dive)

  • PGE partnered with California startup GridCARE, which uses AI to analyze hourly grid data and find spare capacity by coordinating onsite batteries, generators, and flexible loads. The collaboration has since unlocked more than 80 MW of capacity.

  • The experiment signals a move toward a “software-first” grid in which digital tools, not just infrastructure, drive new connections. 

  • GridCARE founder Amit Narayan says it’s also a national competitiveness issue: The US must learn to build smarter and faster if it wants to keep up with China’s pace in energy and computing infrastructure (see above).

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