Texas Data Centers, Crypto Miners Reduced Power During Storm (1)

Electric Reliability Council of Texas Chairman Bill Flores said Thursday that some data centers and cryptocurrency miners voluntarily curtailed power use during the recent winter storm that strained the state’s grid and others across the country.

Data centers supporting artificial intelligence and other industrial sites are driving rapid growth in electricity demand in Texas and elsewhere, contributing to higher residential utility bills and forcing grid operators to make difficult decisions about who receives power. Texas slashed its live power-demand projection for the recent storm by 13% after it began. ERCOT has taken a more conservative approach to procuring supplies following ...