By Editorial Services
Growing electricity demand from AI-enabled data centers is creating new challenges for the nation's power grid. To help address those challenges, a multidisciplinary team of Lehigh Engineering researchers has received a three-year, $518,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems (NSF ECCS). The award is the first extramural grant received by Lehigh University's Center for Advancing Community Electrification Solutions (ACES).
Led by Javad Khazaei, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Shalinee Kishore, Iacocca Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of ACES; and Farrah Moazeni, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, the team is investigating how rapidly changing electricity demands from hyperscale data centers could affect grid stability and resilience.
As AI adoption continues to grow, large-scale data centers are placing new demands on energy infrastructure. These facilities can rapidly increase their power consumption, creating challenges for a grid that has traditionally relied on slower responses to changes in electricity demand. Researchers are working to better understand how these fast-changing loads interact with the power system and develop strategies to help maintain reliable operations.
The project will begin by creating a detailed model of a data center, including its AI computing loads, cooling systems, uninterruptible power supplies, and connections to the electric grid. The model will help researchers identify potential vulnerabilities and understand how data center operations could contribute to grid instability.
The team will also explore demand-response strategies that allow data centers to adjust their energy use in ways that support grid stability. In addition, researchers will study how cyberattacks that manipulate electricity demand could affect grid operations and develop advanced control systems to help mitigate those risks.
The work aligns with ACES' mission to advance reliable, resilient electrification systems that help communities thrive. As AI continues to transform how people work and live, researchers say understanding its impact on energy infrastructure will be critical.
“Data centers are something we need,” says Khazaei. “AI is useful for the future generation. We want to explore how AI could impact and shift the power system operation from being very slow to being able to respond very fast.”
