Load Flexibility and
Data Centers
This repository provides a listing of PLMA content related to the role that
load flexibility solutions can play in accelerating data center interconnection.
2025 – 2026
PLMA Workshop on Data Centers and Load Flexibility
At the Fall 2025 PLMA Conference in Henderson, NV, John Powers of Elexity and Rich Barone of Oracle hosted a workshop exploring the role of load flexibility in addressing issues resulting from the rapid growth of data center loads.
Conclusions to date:
- Load flexibility resources, including those from non-data-center customers, could significantly accelerate interconnection and energization of some data centers;
- Load flexibility resources, other than onsite generators, are receiving limited attention
from decision makers in the interconnection and energization process; even load flex professionals tend to favor infrastructure and on-site generation solutions; - Questions remain around the value of LF resources from non-data-center customers in speeding data center interconnection and energization; PLMA may be in a good position to help address these.
Load Flexing the Future: Let’s Address Data Center Growth
In this PLMA Fall 2025 Conference Opening Plenary, our expert panelists discuss the data center workloads, including cloud computing, machine learning, and large language models, that have sent data center electricity demand soaring, placing new stress on the North American grid. New data center projects face multi-year energization and full interconnection delays in many parts of the country. Recognizing this as one of the biggest energy challenges of our times, the panelists first size this issue and then delve into the important role that load flexibility has in addressing it, all as new data centers jockey for position in interconnect queues.