Data centres go off‑grid

Data center operators are building power on their own sites because grid hookups for new artificial intelligence campuses are taking too long. (datacenterknowledge.com) A behind-the-meter system puts generation on the customer’s side of the utility meter, so electricity goes straight to the facility instead of waiting for a new transmission upgrade. The U.S. Department of Energy says that setup can cut losses and improve resilience. (energy.gov) A microgrid is a local power network that can run with the larger grid or disconnect and operate on its own, like a campus with its own switchboard. The Department of Energy says microgrids can include generators, batteries, and controls that let a site “island” during outages. (energy.gov) The immediate trigger is artificial intelligence demand. Data Center Knowledge reported on April 15 that grid queues, local opposition, and the power needs of “AI factories” are pushing operators toward on-site generation, storage, and flexible power designs. (datacenterknowledge.com) Oracle is one of the clearest examples. Bloom Energy said on April 14 that Oracle intends to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom fuel-cell systems under a master services agreement, with an initial 1.2 gigawatts already contracted and deployment underway into 2027. (businesswire.com) That deal grew out of a July 24, 2025 agreement in which Bloom said it could deliver on-site power for an entire Oracle data center within 90 days. Bloom said the first system was operating in 55 days, ahead of that target. (investor.bloomenergy.com) Batteries are filling a different role. Vertiv said its EnergyCore Grid system is designed for peak shaving, black start, backup power, and microgrid use, while CPower said on April 14 that it had integrated Vertiv’s battery system with its virtual power plant platform for data centers seeking faster interconnection and demand-response revenue. (vertiv.com, (morningstar.com) Lawyers tracking new projects say storage is now being used to win grid access, not just to keep servers alive during outages. Davis Graham wrote on April 8 that Aligned Data Centers agreed to pay for a 31-megawatt battery to accelerate interconnection, calling it an early example of storage as an interconnection tool. (davisgraham.com) The policy backdrop changed in Washington last month. On March 4, seven companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI accepted the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge to “build, bring, or buy” the energy needed for their data centers and pay the full infrastructure cost themselves. (whitehouse.gov, (federalregister.gov) Nuclear developers are trying to turn that demand into future contracts, but those projects are still years away. Reuters reported on April 9 that big technology companies are backing next-generation reactors for artificial intelligence loads, while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says Oklo’s Aurora design remains in pre-application work and is sized for up to 75 megawatts electric. (usnews.com, (nrc.gov) Oklo has still moved closer to a first unit. The company said on March 19 that the Department of Energy approved a Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for its first Aurora powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory, and Oklo and Vertiv said in July 2025 that they planned a pilot for data-center power and cooling around that reactor. (oklo.com, (oklo.com) For now, the fastest path is not a new reactor or a new transmission line. It is a data center arriving with its own fuel cells, batteries, and controls already inside the fence. (datacenterknowledge.com, (businesswire.com))