Amid rising fears that AI’s hunger for electricity could trigger a power crunch, a surprising solution is emerging: use AI to fix the grid.
On Thursday, Google, grid operator PJM, and Alphabet’s innovation lab Tapestry announced a major partnership aimed at addressing one of the most overlooked issues in U.S. energy: the massive interconnection backlog that’s slowing the transition to clean power.
Right now, there are 2.6 terawatts of proposed generation capacity—more than double what all U.S. power plants produce today—stuck in limbo waiting for approval to plug into the electrical grid, according to Lawrence Berkeley Lab data.
Why the Grid Is Stuck — And How AI Could Help
At the heart of the issue is bureaucratic gridlock. Every new power project—be it solar, wind, nuclear, or gas—needs approval to connect to the grid. That process is notoriously slow and fragmented, especially in PJM, the largest regional grid operator in the U.S., covering the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest.
PJM alone has a backlog of 3,000+ requests representing 286.7 gigawatts of capacity. In fact, the queue grew so large that PJM stopped accepting new applications in 2022—and won’t resume until mid-2026.
That’s where Google and Tapestry come in. Their AI tools will:
- Automate data verification during the application process
- Provide centralized project planning tools
- Help PJM better model integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind
The goal? Accelerate approvals and bring clean energy online faster—especially in regions where fossil fuels have historically dominated.
Renewables Bear the Brunt of Delays
The slow approval process disproportionately affects renewables. Nationwide:
- Over 1 terawatt of solar power is stalled in interconnection queues
- Over 1 terawatt of battery storage is similarly stuck
- In PJM’s own queue, only 2.4% of requests come from fossil fuel projects
That’s despite the region not being considered a renewable energy stronghold—until now.
The Fossil Fuel Debate & Grid Neutrality
In recent years, natural gas has replaced coal in the PJM region, thanks to cheap fracked gas. Critics argue that PJM’s recently updated approval process unfairly allows fossil fuel projects to “skip the line” over renewables—fueling controversy.
PJM, for its part, insists it remains “fuel agnostic.” But Google made its position clear: it’s committed to decarbonizing its entire energy footprint, even as it builds AI-powered data centers that demand more electricity than ever.
Why This Matters for the Future of AI and Clean Energy
As tech giants like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft race to build next-gen data centers, they’re also locking in contracts for nuclear and renewable power. That demand is now a major driver of new energy projects—but without a functioning grid interconnection process, none of that power can reach the servers.
By using AI in electrical grid management, Google and PJM are taking a proactive approach to a technical and regulatory nightmare—unlocking clean energy at scale and ensuring that AI doesn’t become the very thing that breaks the grid.
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