Why energy providers can't afford a weekend of downtime

It is no longer news that AI is driving incredible demand for electricity.

You may have read that data centers were using 6% of the electricity supply in the UK and the US as of May this year, or that these centers require 40% more energy than originally expected. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, and the growth of locally generated renewable energy are cranking up the pressure on an already complex energy system.

But the physical grid is only part of…