A new study from Duke University says the existing power system could handle much of the demand growth expected in the coming years with no additional generation if artificial intelligence data centers can be persuaded to cut their energy use by as little as 1% during times of peak demand.

Participants at the United States Energy Association’s 2025 State of the Energy Industry Forum discussed topics such as demand growth, nuclear fusion and energy efficiency.

The data center dilemma centers first on a familiar mismatch of timescales. Utilities and their regulators tend to plan based on the small, incremental demand growth. But development and the power demand it generates move at ever-increasing digital speed.

EPRI launched its DCFlex initiative, which is meant to maximize demand flexibility from data centers to help them more quickly plug into the grid and provide demand response for emergencies.

Advanced nuclear technology, with all promise and all its baggage, is one of the ways New York is considering meeting its clean energy goals.

CAISO CEO Elliot Mainzer, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas and MISO's Todd Hillman joined a USEA webinar to discuss grid reliability amid increases in extreme weather and load growth.

Google's 2023 emissions totaled the equivalent of 14.3 million tons of carbon dioxide, a 48% increase over 2019. It expects further increases before dropping to its emission reduction target of net zero by 2030.

Severe thunderstorms knocking out power to 1 million Texans did not stop attendees at a NERC-EPRI workshop on a draft standard addressing extreme weather’s effects on transmission planning.

The burgeoning power demand from data centers and artificial intelligence can be met by other means than new natural gas-fired power plants, according to a new report from the Electric Power Research Institute.