OpenAI’s Plan to Stop AI Data Centres Overloading the Grid

What the numbers show

Georgia Power projects savings of approximately US$950m a year from 2029.

That figure covers its whole portfolio of large-load agreements and expected growth, not the OpenAI contract alone.

The utility expects the typical residential customer using 1,000kWh a month to save at least US$15 a month or US$180 a year.

For Kim Greene, the Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power, the priority is the here-and-now for her customers.

“Data centres are paying more so families and small businesses can pay less, and our goal with every contract we sign under this framework is to deliver value for them,” she says

At OpenAI, the bigger picture is always in focus.

“With US data centre capacity projected to exceed 100 gigawatts by 2030⁠, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the electric grid by building campuses that can adjust their power use when communities need it most,” the company says.