Utilities are facing a load growth double whammy: demand is both larger and more variable than ever before. Last month, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued a Level 3 alert highlighting reliability risks tied to large, rapidly changing computational loads, including data centers disconnecting from the grid. 

Those risks are already materializing. In recent events across 2024 and 2025, 1,000 MW or more of load dropped from the system with little advanced visibility, exposing gaps in how utilities model, monitor and prepare for this type of demand. Current planning assumptions and reliability standards weren’t built for the behavior of these emerging loads. 

Changes to planning assumptions, interconnection practices and engagement with large load customers are inevitable. But alongside these shifts, one capability is becoming increasingly important: timely visibility into load behavior at the grid edge, and stronger coordination between planning and operations to act on it. 

The Disconnect Between Utility Planning and Growing Demand 

The core challenge is that these loads interact with the grid in ways utility processes weren’t designed to handle in real time. Planning functions have historically centered on forecasted demand and long-term capacity, while grid operators respond to system conditions as they unfold. Large computational loads, such as data centers, change the game. Their behavior can change rapidly based on internal operations or external signals, creating sudden shifts in demand that traditional approaches can’t anticipate. In many cases, disconnections occur faster than operators can observe or validate through existing telemetry and models. 

This leaves utilities with an incomplete picture. They may know how much load is expected, but not how it will behave or respond under stressed conditions. Bridging that gap requires bringing planning and operations closer together, with the visibility to monitor large load behavior and act on it within operator workflows. 

Moving from Static Assumptions to Real-Time Visibility 

Addressing this shift requires new operational capabilities. In short, utilities need to move from static load assumptions to ongoing monitoring of how large, dynamic loads behave on the system. That includes understanding how they respond to grid conditions, how quickly they can change and where they may introduce risk. 

Just as important, that visibility must extend across systems and workflows. Load behavior doesn’t exist in isolation, it intersects with network conditions, DER activity and operational constraints. Without that coordination, critical signals are fragmented and difficult to act on. Utilities need the ability to integrate this load intelligence into operator workflows so it can inform how they monitor conditions, assess risk and respond in real time. 

Building a More Intelligent, Resilient Grid 

Utilities are facing a fundamental shift in data center-driven load growth, creating new reliability risks and pointing to the need for a more integrated approach to grid operations. Rather than treating load, network conditions and distributed resources as separate domains, utilities need a unified view that brings together data from across the grid and makes it actionable within workflows. 

That level of coordination isn’t a future capability—it’s already possible and happening today. It depends on connecting insights across systems, including intelligence from the grid edge, greater distribution network awareness and closer integration with DER management. When these elements are aligned, utilities can better understand how large, dynamic loads interact with the modern grid and respond accordingly. 

Learn how utilities are bringing real-time grid visibility and control to the edge at itron.com/gridedge.