Portland General Electric and GridCARE Accelerate Hundreds of Megawatts of Data Center Power in Leading U.S. Market
Rhea-AI Summary
Portland General Electric (POR) and GridCARE completed a joint project to accelerate data center interconnections in Hillsboro, Oregon, enabling over 80 MW of incremental capacity in 2026 and a total of more than 400 MW to be energized by 2029. The project used GridCARE's patented DeFlex™ generative AI forecasting, hourly demand modeling, and flexibility (batteries and onsite generation) to validate capacity on existing infrastructure and bring large loads online years earlier than planned. The approach aims to lower upgrade costs, preserve reliability, and support broader data center-driven investment in the region while addressing growing electricity demand nationally.
Positive
- Over 80 MW incremental capacity available for 2026
- More than 400 MW energized by 2029
- Generative AI DeFlex™ forecasting validated capacity on existing grid
- Interconnections delivered years earlier than expected using flexibility
- Optimizes batteries and onsite generation to avoid multi‑year upgrades
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, POR gained 0.18%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
GridCARE's AI-enabled grid planning approach accelerates time-to-power in
"Delivering safe, reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost are our core customer commitments," said Larry Bekkedahl, SVP of Strategy and Advanced Energy Delivery, Portland General Electric. "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
A Breakthrough Approach
To identify and validate capacity on the existing system, PGE used GridCARE's patented DeFlex™ methodology, to apply 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 is able to interconnect multiple data center customers years earlier than initially expected.
This breakthrough approach provides multiple benefits:
- Faster interconnection for large loads without waiting for multi-year upgrades,
- More efficient use of existing grid assets, controlling costs for all customers, and
- Increased flexibility that supports both system reliability and energy goals.
"The pace of AI and cloud growth demands new thinking about how we power the digital economy," said Christian Belady, retired VP of Datacenter Advanced Development at Microsoft. "What PGE and GridCARE have accomplished in
Broader Impact
Nationally, electricity demand from data centers is projected to reach
GridCARE's platform helps utilities validate their planning, model flexibility at scale, and relieve interconnection queues. By doing so, it supports billions in new local and regional economic investment while reinforcing the utility's core mission of reliable and safe power delivery, while serving energy at the lowest cost possible.
This partnership strengthens
"Utilities face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to meet exponential load growth," said Amit Narayan, CEO of GridCARE. "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."
About GridCARE
GridCARE solves data center developers' most urgent bottleneck — immediate access to power — through a pioneering physics-based generative AI platform that unlocks gigawatts of near-term capacity from today's grid. Partnering with utilities, GridCARE 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 is working with major technology and data center companies to accelerate interconnection requests for large-load and data center projects.
About Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is an integrated energy company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to nearly 950,000 customers serving an area of 1.9 million Oregonians. Since 1889, Portland General Electric (PGE) has been powering social progress, delivering safe, affordable, reliable and increasingly clean electricity while working to transform energy systems to meet evolving customer needs. PGE customers have set the standard for prioritizing clean energy with the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the country. PGE was ranked the No. 1 utility in the 2024 Forrester
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1 Shehabi, A.; Newkirk, A.; Smith, S.;
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SOURCE GridCARE
FAQ
What capacity did Portland General Electric (POR) and GridCARE enable in Hillsboro for 2026?
How much total data center capacity will be energized in Hillsboro by 2029 under the POR/GridCARE project?
What technology did POR use to accelerate interconnections for data centers?
How does the POR/GridCARE approach affect grid upgrade timelines and costs?
What national electricity demand projection for data centers was cited in the announcement?
What is the investor relevance of POR's Hillsboro project with GridCARE?
