In its most ambitious energy initiative yet, Google today announced a new collaboration with PJM Interconnection—the largest electric grid operator in North America—and Tapestry, an Alphabet-incubated moonshot project. The partnership aims to develop advanced AI tools to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and resilience of the electric grid that serves 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Powered by Google Cloud and DeepMind, Tapestry will build intelligent systems to optimize how power generation is integrated into PJM’s expansive network, accelerating the connection of new energy sources while improving affordability and stability across the region.

Growing Energy Demand 

The United States stands at the threshold of a new era of innovation and economic growth, driven by the transformative potential of AI. But unlocking this opportunity will demand major investments in modernizing the nation's electricity infrastructure.

In 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) projected that peak energy demand in the U.S. will rise by 128 gigawatts by the end of the decade—more than triple the growth forecast from just a year earlier.

Growing Power Backlog and AI’s Strength 

Advanced AI applications present a powerful opportunity to tackle the mounting backlog of power generation projects across the U.S. By the end of 2023, an estimated 2,600 gigawatts (GW) of potential capacity—more than twice the total installed capacity of the current U.S. power fleet—were waiting to connect to organized power grids, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

It becomes more indispensable than ever to manage the substantial increase in interconnection requests from a few dozen annually to thousands.

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Single Unified Platform 

By unifying the dozens of existing databases and tools used to assess interconnection requests into a single, secure model of PJM’s network, Tapestry will create a collaborative platform for grid planners and project developers. This streamlined system will accelerate data processing and grid planning, helping more energy projects come online faster to meet the region’s electricity needs affordably and efficiently.

Bridging Diverse Sources Together 

A significant share of projects in PJM’s interconnection queue today comes from variable energy resources. Tapestry’s AI-powered automation and planning tools are designed to accelerate and streamline the integration of these diverse energy sources—helping ensure they’re connected to the grid quickly, reliably, and at scale.

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Amidst the increasing demand challenges, innovative collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to ensure the U.S. energy system delivers the capacity, affordability, and reliability needed to support future growth.