Nicholas Institute experts are working to ensure the next era of U.S. electricity growth strengthens—not strains—the nation’s energy system.
Electricity demand in the United States is rising at a pace not seen in decades. Rapid expansion of data centers to support artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant driver, as are advanced manufacturing, transportation electrification, and broader economic growth.
Demand growth is reshaping power system planning nationwide and presents a defining challenge: meeting new demand affordably and reliably while maintaining momentum on decarbonization and community resilience.
Without thoughtful policy, market, and regulatory responses, accelerated load growth could stress infrastructure, raise consumer costs, and slow progress toward climate and economic goals. With the right solutions, however, it can catalyze investment, modernize the grid, and unlock new models for flexibility and innovation.
Experts at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability are helping policymakers, utilities, regulators, and large energy users navigate this inflection point. Rigorous research by Duke experts and partners focuses on practical pathways to align reliability, affordability, and sustainability, including:
- Assessing the system-wide impacts of large load additions and identifying policy and market reforms that strengthen competitiveness and grid performance;
- Developing and evaluating load flexibility strategies to reduce peak stress, defer infrastructure investment, and lower costs for all customers;
- Convening stakeholders across the public and private sectors to translate analysis into actionable solutions tailored to regional contexts.
For media inquiries, contact the Nicholas Institute communications team at ni-comm@duke.edu.
Publications
Data Centers and Generation Capacity over the Next Decade: Potential Benefits of Flexibility
Flexible demand response offers the potential to significantly reduce the amount of new capacity needed to meet rapidly growing electricity demand from data centers over the next 5 to 10 years. Without flexibility, the additional electricity may largely be provided by new gas units; with flexibility, the capacity mix shifts more toward renewables.
Rethinking Load Growth: Assessing the Potential for Integration of Large Flexible Loads in US Power Systems
A key solution to the United States' soaring electrical demand—driven by unprecedented electricity needs from large commercial customers, particularly data centers and their booming artificial intelligence workloads—is load flexibility. This analysis provides a first-order estimate of the potential for accommodating such loads with minimal capacity expansion or impact on demand-supply balance.
