Our Electric Grid Needs To Be 'Secured With AI, From AI and For AI'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/05/2025) (BOSTON) – As artificial intelligence (AI) continues on its path of reshaping nearly every sector of American life, Tuesday’s panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures explored the emerging question: How will the nation's energy grid be impacted by AI and cloud technologies?

The panel -- featuring contributors from Microsoft, Schneider Electric and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory -- discussed how AI can be used to forecast and manage renewable energy and when it is needed, the challenges of data center load management, and the necessity of robust cybersecurity and energy infrastructure.

David Manz of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said the grid needs to be secured with AI, from AI and for AI. He said the technology offers advanced capabilities for monitoring and managing grid systems that exceed human's abilities.

Manz said AI is not the solution, but it can make the solution more effective. Cyberattacks are not a new threat, and bad actors are actively using cyberspace to achieve their objectives, such as stealing money or holding a nation at risk. He said it's real, and targeting not just corporate America but also targeting critical infrastructure.

"I don't think we need to say the sky is falling, but I think we should disabuse ourselves that that is not true," Manz said.

Scott Harden of Schneider Electric said last summer in Virginia, a storm system coming through caused the data centers with built-in AI to predict that there would be issues with the grid, so they flipped over to their backup power systems automatically. It took the same amount of energy, the equivalent of one-third of all homes in Virginia, off the power grid instantaneously.

"It almost took the grid down because of the frequency, balance and position," Harden said. "This is going to become something that is going to be more and more common."

Jonathon Noble of Microsoft said technology is becoming more dependent upon and integrated with AI, which puts strain on energy infrastructure. He said there needs to be a conversation about how to work with utilities to create solutions.

When multiple energy sources with varying inputs, like solar and wind energy, are included in the utility, it complicates the management of energy distribution, Manz said.

"We have a lot of renewables that's come online. We have increasing demands like we've never seen before for AI and cloud infrastructure," Manz said. "The problem is, the traditional grid was very hierarchical. You had a transmission, you had a distribution, you've got a consumer, whether that's a house or it's an aluminum smelter. But those days are gone."

Schneider said the grid has shifted to a grid that is no longer load following and is not supply following, but that supply is no longer central, it's heavily distributed.