AI load Impact on Data Centers: Adapting to the future of infrastructure

Demand for new data center infrastructures is at an all-time high. According to a recent report from Colliers, research estimates that AI will drive a 160% increase in data center demand, with 2024 witnessing a colossal $57 billion investment into the sector. In the wake of this supercycle, how data centers balance the needs of AI and sustainability is becoming a key concern. Not only is the race among IT giants vying to become the next AI market leader having a huge impact on how we optimize, build, and operate these infrastructures, but the increasing challenges of data center size increases, load mix, energy source diversity, and energy storage are also making infrastructure operation more complex.

So how can data center operators and owners design and build highly performing, scalable, reliable and sustainable data center infrastructure that can handle AI loads?

In a recent article, Turning Data Centres from Liabilities to Assets for the Power Grids, the energy intensive combination of generative AI-driven workload upon the grid, the deployment of variable energy sources (VRES), including renewables, and the balancing of demand and supply through flexibility was explored. With flexibility being a key solution in resolving the problem of energy availability and, in the case of data centers, balancing the huge growth of the industry with the scale and size of these infrastructures becoming greater e.g. 1GW+.

Not only do Hyperscale and Colocation data centers demand secure, flexible, and sustainable electrification but they should also be contributing to the grid, making it more stable and sustainable. By moving towards self-generation, while incorporating onsite battery energy storage systems (BESS), reducing reliance on diesel generators and looking to hydrogen generators, they can become versatile energy players and real contributors to society.

A sentiment echoed by peers we spoke with at this year’s Data Centre World London.

But there’s another element to consider…power quality at the grid and data center infrastructure level.

Catch up on our Data Center World London highlights

Balancing the grid, load by load

The rise of AI workloads has introduced a stream of power quality challenges. Unlike traditional computing loads that maintain relatively steady power consumption patterns, AI processing is causing rapid, unpredictable fluctuations in power demand with the grid scrambling to keep up and maintain reliable power.

Balancing the intricate nature of demand and supply is a constant task grid operators must work towards.

After all, maintaining a consistent level of frequency can be cumbersome for even the most traditional of load profiles. But with AI, this erratic demand is coming on top of already large requirements for cloud and digital applications. With load imbalance and voltage rises impacting the network, data centers find themselves grappling with damaged equipment, costly downtime, and dissatisfied consumers.

Grid stability challenges in the face of disconnection…and reconnection

The evolution of data centers from small(er)-scale operations to today’s immense power consumers has introduced new challenges for grid stability, especially when large power loads disconnect suddenly.

When these centers disconnect during power disruptions (e.g. voltage fluctuations, frequency deviations, protection system activations), they don't follow the gradual reduction patterns of traditional industrial loads due to their uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Instead, they disconnect abruptly, creating significant voltage and frequency fluctuations that can ripple throughout the system causing instability.

This problem is heightened by the clustering of data centers in specific regions – if multiple facilities are disconnecting at the same time within the same geographic area, that’s a lot of imbalances and strain the grid has to navigate. Unlike typical grid loads (e.g. industries, cities, households), data centers are critical power facilities that require uninterrupted operation. Most data centers employ UPS systems (static centralized, static decentralized, rotary, etc.) to protect their IT equipment from even minor grid disturbances. These systems instantly disconnect the data center from the grid during fluctuations and switch to local energy sources, typically batteries.

Consequently, even small grid disturbances caused by distant faults—which would not affect normal loads—trigger complete disconnection of data centers from the grid. While this poses no problem when data centers represent a small portion of the total grid load, it becomes concerning when a data center or cluster of data centers constitutes a significant percentage of the load in a particular area. In such cases, their simultaneous disconnection can potentially cause negative impacts to grid stability and operation.

On the flip side, the reconnection phase also presents numerous challenges. The ‘switch on’ of multiple data centers can create demand surges that overwhelm grid capacity, potentially triggering protective disconnections elsewhere in the system. The reconnection to the grid must be carefully managed to prevent power quality issues or cascading failures.

Grid operators and data center managers should start collaborating on reconnection protocols to ensure these infrastructures can maintain operations without compromising the stability of the system that energizes their operations and wider communities.

The expectation of 24/7, high reliability remains non-negotiable. Managing this operational complexity while maintaining uptime and minimizing latency is a critical challenge, but easing the burden on the grid helps establish a more balanced network where stable, secure and reliable power can be assured.

When connecting new, large data centers to the grid, some grid operators may impose strict regulations and requirements on these facilities so they can maintain overall system stability. Data centers must formulate a plan to overcome these challenges. A plan that may include advanced UPS systems, microgrids, hybrid power systems, energy management systems etc.

Utilizing advanced control logic and power electronics solutions to address power quality challenges

With the pressure to provide high-performance infrastructure capable of processing vast amounts of information intensifying, the pursuit of power quality has become a critical differentiator in the data center landscape.

These new load profiles are still being explored, with solutions for mitigating the impacts being developed. We’re currently writing the next chapter for how both the utility and the data center infrastructure can monitor and mitigate load impact, assuring the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid. Monitoring power quality, especially at the point of connection (POC), is essential in ensuring utility requirements are met.

Solving the problem you have, not the problem you don’t

Today, data center owners and operators can energize their operations with power quality and grid connection solutions, not only designed to meet the unique energy demands of emerging AI data centers but also enable:

• Continuous operation and uptime through reliable solutions
• Standardized designs enabled for local deployments, on a global scale
• Low environmental impact through sustainable and efficient solutions
• Compliance with grid codes.

Integrated and sustainable designs can help make adding compute capacity faster, flexible and more energy-efficient while supporting projects being delivered on time and within budget.

Before instilling a solution into an organization or operations, it’s essential to check you’re embedding the right solution for the problem you need to solve. And it’s no different for data center infrastructures.

Every location and every project have their own uniqueness which must be carefully considered. Conducting a full study into the problem through services - such as power consulting - help customers identify their challenges and recommend tailored solutions for their specific needs, with knowledge of technologies, standards, and local grid codes worldwide embedded.

Navigating the evolution of AI load

We are in the midst of a ‘generational opportunity’. I have no doubt that the energy demands of data centres will continue to rise as internet usage, cloud computing, digitalization and AI demand continue to grow, infrastructure must too.

Ensuring robust systems with effective redundancy planning and investment in power quality solutions will be crucial to managing these erratic loads. As with every new technology that comes our way, improvements on AI algorithms to make them more efficient, more sustainable and more powerful are expected. Such improvements will enable larger and more capable models that also use less computation and power.

We’re already seeing the design of data centers becoming increasingly optimized, reliable, sustainable and efficient.

A question asked several times at Data Center World London 2025 was: Will AI reduce its own environmental impact?

While we may not have the answers today, we can be certain that both society and industry will increase their reliance and usage of AI applications, not only resulting in data processing beyond our imagination, but with improvements and scalability beyond what we currently know. This challenge of today is our opportunity to create not only a digital ecosystem that keeps apace with our digital lives, but one that transforms the data center from a heavy consumer into a versatile energy player.

If you’d like to connect and discuss your data center needs or book a meeting at one of the below upcoming events, you can contact us here.
 

• DCD Connect New York, 24–25 March - New York (US)
• Data Center Nation, 2 April - Milan (IT)
• DCD Connect Madrid, 20-21 May - Madrid (ES)
• Datacloud Global Congress, 4-5 June - Cannes (FR)