Microgrids are growing in popularity nationwide as a way for municipalities to build more resilient grid systems. These smaller-scale power solutions pack a big punch, operating independently from the grid to generate electricity for local residents when their municipal systems shut down due to a surge in electricity needs.

However, the microgrid industry is now shifting to a new purpose: helping data center developers create more reliable operations that can withstand their massive power demands without draining the surrounding communities. 

This phenomenon is called “resilience as a service,” and it’s being championed by microgrid specialists at Enchanted Rock, a company headquartered in Texas, where the data center industry is rapidly expanding.

How Flexibility Is Saving the Data Center Industry

AI technology needs are only growing, and as a result, the demand for data centers and the energy to fuel them is also increasing. Unfortunately, that could spell disaster for most net-zero carbon emissions goals, as greater energy usage from these massive data centers can mean soaring emissions. 

Fortunately, microgrids’ flexibility can offer an answer to this dilemma. Utility companies can use these grids to ensure flexible loads with a high degree of certainty, which can contribute to energy efficiency. 

In fact, Enchanted Rock has created a system where utility companies can see the resources they have available and develop power purchase agreements based on the level of certainty that these microgrids provide. 

According to Enchanted Rock Chief Operating Officer Allan Schurr, “If you’re going to avoid transmission reinforcement ten miles away, you need the hard switch off. The transmission engineers are not going to take best efforts; they need to be absolutely certain that the load will come off, not most of the time or almost all the time, but every single time.”

A More Secure and Sustainable Future

While some feel it might be difficult to convince utility companies that these distributed assets are reliable, they can undoubtedly help reduce emissions and infrastructure needs while supporting business growth. Microgrids run partly on natural gas, but they also have the flexibility to use other types of renewable energy, including batteries, wind, and solar power. 

This means that data center developers don’t have to rely on a “yes” from local officials to get utility companies to build extra capacity into the grid or wait for a connection to it. Instead, they can get as much energy as they need whenever they need it. 

Balancing Priorities in the Energy Industry

This is great news for data centers, as most of them don’t have the luxury of waiting for the power they need or moving to another jurisdiction that can provide it. Microgrids can add additional power-generating capacity during times of increased demand, allowing business to continue as usual.

Still, some may have worries about these microgrids using natural gas instead of relying on cleaner energy. However, the Enchanted Rock team believes that using natural gas to run a system for 500 hours per year is more beneficial than spending the resources necessary to build and run a turbine for 5,000 hours every year. 

Many data center developers are reinforcing this theory, as Enchanted Rock has a long line of customers waiting for service. This signals a significant shift from thinking about microgrids as backup power to using these systems as part of an initial “bridge-to-grid” strategy. For data centers, this could be a powerful new tool in the effort to expand computing power without jeopardizing environmental goals.

To learn more, read the original piece by Maeve Allsup.