One fallen power line exposed a growing AI data center problem. Here’s how to fix it.
TechCrunch AI Tim De Chant
A power line failure near Washington, DC triggered more than 3 gigawatts of data centers to simultaneously switch to backup power, causing a 10-minute grid instability and regional voltage spikes instead of the normal few-second recovery. Data centers in Northern Virginia represent approximately 3% of current demand on the PJM grid, but are expected to reach 24% by 2040, and the disconnection event was twice the size of a similar incident in 2024. To prevent future grid disruptions, solutions include requiring data centers to ride through power fluctuations without disconnecting, or deploying uninterruptible power systems like ON.Energy's that buffer data centers from grid instabilities.
Why it matters
A close call in Northern Virginia revealed just how poorly data centers respond to grid disruptions. Here's how to fix the problem.
