Our investment in AI-powered solutions for the electric grid
Today, Google announced our biggest step yet to use AI for building a stronger, more resilient electricity system. We’re collaborating with PJM Interconnection, the largest grid operator in North America, and Tapestry, an Alphabet incubated moonshot.
Tapestry, powered by Google Cloud and Google DeepMind, will build on its core technology and develop a new set of AI tools and models. The technology will intelligently manage and optimize interconnecting power generation to the PJM electric grid, which spans the District of Columbia and 13 states across much of the industrial Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. The technology will help PJM connect energy sources to its grid much faster, with the specific goal of making electricity more reliable and affordable for the 67 million people PJM serves.
Building the stronger, more resilient grid of tomorrow
The United States has the opportunity for a new era of innovation and growth, with the application of AI. Realizing this opportunity will require significant investment in new electricity infrastructure. In 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s five-year demand growth forecast more than tripled compared to the same forecast the prior year, with the United States peak energy demand expected to grow by 128 GW before the end of the decade.
Advanced applications of AI bring a new opportunity to address the growing backlog of power generation projects in the U.S. By the end of 2023, the backlog was estimated to be more than double the size of the total installed capacity of the U.S. power fleet, with 2,600 gigawatts (GW) of potential capacity waiting to interconnect to the organized power grids, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Grid operators are adapting their databases, models and evaluation tools to manage a substantial increase in interconnection requests, which have risen from a few dozen annually to thousands.
Using AI to automate and optimize interconnection
AI can play a pivotal role in improving and expanding the U.S. electricity system while maintaining reliability and security. We are bringing together the power of Alphabet, including Tapestry, Google Cloud and Google DeepMind, to build and deliver a set of collaborative AI tools that will enable PJM to make faster decisions with greater confidence. With the application of Tapestry’s tools and insights, the time it takes to process new project applications will significantly reduce, allowing new capacity to come online far faster.
This multi-year initiative aims to drive key improvements in the PJM region by:
- Bringing more energy capacity onto the grid, faster: Tapestry is building AI-powered tools that will streamline and accelerate the interconnection application and critical parts of the verification process, reducing the burden on both energy developers and PJM planners by automating and improving the data verification process. This is designed to accelerate project approvals and quicken the interconnection of power projects to the PJM grid.
- Driving efficiency and affordability: By integrating the dozens of existing databases and tools used to evaluate interconnection requests into a single unified model of PJM’s network, Tapestry will develop a secure platform where grid planners and project developers can collaborate. The platform aims to accelerate the data ingestion and grid planning process, enabling more projects to send power to the grid and meet the region’s electricity needs as affordably as possible.
- Integrating diverse energy resources: Variable energy resources currently make up a large portion of the PJM interconnection queue. Tapestry’s AI-powered automation and planning tools can support the rapid and reliable integration of diverse energy sources onto the grid.
Powering our electricity demand responsibly
Creative solutions from across the private and public sectors are crucial to ensure the U.S. has the energy capacity, affordability and reliability needed to capitalize on the opportunity for growth. Alphabet is committed to doing its part to lead in this new era with multiple execution efforts underway. In addition to this first-of-its-kind collaboration with PJM to apply AI for the grid, we are accelerating new technologies, such as enhanced geothermal and advanced nuclear. We’re also exploring new development and procurement approaches that can deliver new, firm electricity to help power Google’s operations and build a smarter, more affordable electricity system for everyone.
