Google is teaming up with PJM Interconnection, North America’s largest electricity grid operator, in a new effort to ease the backlog of energy projects waiting to connect to the grid. The collaboration leverages AI to help modernize infrastructure, a growing concern as demand climbs due to the rapid spread of energy-hungry data centers powering AI technologies.
Connection delays for both renewable and conventional energy sources—like solar, wind, and gas—have hit record highs, raising the risks of blackouts and higher energy costs across the U.S. To tackle this, Google is introducing AI tools built with support from Tapestry, a company under Alphabet’s umbrella, designed to replace time-consuming manual planning tasks with streamlined automation.
At first, the AI will focus on simplifying early-stage evaluations, such as determining whether projects are viable. Over time, the goal is to develop a digital replica of PJM’s entire grid—much like Google Maps—enabling planners to layer data and make faster, more accurate decisions.
Though the precise time savings remain uncertain, the partnership is expected to boost overall efficiency in the long run. With PJM’s network serving 67 million people, including northern Virginia’s massive data center cluster, the move marks a crucial step in adapting the U.S. power grid for the age of AI.
