THE DECODER

Google is now letting utilities like Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) request a slowdown of non-essential AI workloads during periods of grid stress.

The company frames this not just as a way to help stabilize the power grid, but also as a strategic advantage: new data centers could be brought online more quickly, since energy providers would have fewer concerns about peak demand. The move represents a shift in thinking, treating AI not only as a potential strain on the grid but also as a possible buffer. It's still unclear which workloads count as non-essential, but Google says that core services like Search, Maps, and cloud operations for key industries, including healthcare, won't be affected. As an example, Google points to YouTube video encoding as a task that could be scaled back during power shortages.