Portland General Electric (PGE) and GridCARE have completed their first joint project to accelerate extensive load interconnections for data centers in Hillsboro, Oregon. The collaboration will result in over 80 MW of incremental capacity available for data center load in 2026, as part of a total of more than 400 MW that will be energized by 2029.

The partnership utilizes GridCARE's AI-enabled grid planning approach and a novel generative AI-forecasting methodology to more efficiently utilize existing grid infrastructure and meet growing electricity demand in key economic sectors. This breakthrough allows data centers to connect to the grid years earlier than initially expected without requiring costly multi-year infrastructure upgrades.

Innovative AI-Based Methodology

To identify and validate capacity on the existing system, PGE implemented GridCARE's patented DeFlex methodology, which applies generative AI forecasting, detailed hourly demand modeling, and grid flexibility solutions. By optimizing the use of flexible resources such as batteries and onsite generation, PGE can interconnect multiple data center customers significantly faster than traditional approaches would allow.

The breakthrough approach provides three key benefits: faster interconnection for large loads without waiting for multi-year upgrades, more efficient use of existing grid assets that controls costs for all customers, and increased flexibility that supports both system reliability and energy goals.

Strategic Location and Market Advantages

Hillsboro represents a major data center hub in the United States, benefiting from access to a diverse energy mix, robust fiber connectivity, and a temperate climate. These advantages have attracted a large number of data center projects, which are investing billions of dollars, creating significant demand that requires innovative approaches to both accelerate load interconnections and ensure affordability for all customers.

Larry Bekkedahl, SVP of Strategy and Advanced Energy Delivery at Portland General Electric, emphasized the company's core commitments. "Delivering safe, reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost are our core customer commitments," Bekkedahl said. "By working with GridCARE, we've successfully implemented an AI-based approach that helps us serve fast-growing data center demand while keeping costs low and maintaining system reliability. This kind of beneficial electrification is a win for our customers, our communities, and Oregon's economy."

Industry Impact and Economic Implications

Christian Belady, retired VP of Datacenter Advanced Development at Microsoft, highlighted the broader significance of the innovation. "The pace of AI and cloud growth demands new thinking about how we power the digital economy," Belady stated. "What PGE and GridCARE have accomplished in Hillsboro is the kind of innovation that not only enables AI and cloud expansion, it unlocks billions in new investment and accelerates returns across the entire North American ecosystem."

Nationally, electricity demand from data centers is projected to reach 6.7% to 12% of U.S. consumption by 2028, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Utilities across the country are grappling with how to deliver new capacity quickly while managing system costs and maintaining fair cost allocation for growth demand across customer classes.

GridCARE's Platform and Utility Applications

GridCARE's platform helps utilities validate their planning, model flexibility at scale, and relieve interconnection queues. The technology supports billions in new local and regional economic investment while reinforcing utilities' core mission of delivering reliable and safe power, serving energy at the lowest possible cost. This partnership strengthens Oregon's role as a national technology hub and positions Portland General Electric as one of the first utilities to utilize AI for large-scale load forecasting, benefiting both the grid and its customers.

Amit Narayan, CEO of GridCARE, described the broader opportunity facing the utility sector. "Utilities face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to meet exponential load growth," Narayan said. "By combining generative AI with grid flexibility, we help utilities like PGE move at the pace the AI economy requires. This project shows what's possible when utilities and innovators partner closely."

Company Backgrounds

GridCARE solves the most urgent bottleneck for data center developers: immediate access to power - through a pioneering physics-based generative AI platform that unlocks gigawatts of near-term capacity from today's grid. The company partners with utilities and applies a proprietary playbook to create additional network capacity on existing transmission infrastructure without costly upgrades or multi-year delays.

Founded at Stanford's Doerr School and backed by leading investors in Energy and AI, GridCARE works with major technology and data center companies to accelerate interconnection requests for large-load and data center projects. Portland General Electric is an integrated energy company that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to nearly 950,000 customers serving an area of 1.9 million Oregonians.

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