The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) has triggered a new kind of energy crisis, not of scarcity, but of access. Data centres built to run AI workloads are demanding gigawatts of power faster than utilities can deliver it, creating multi-year bottlenecks that threaten to slow the pace of digital innovation.
In response, Aligned Data Centers and Calibrant Energy have announced what they describe as a first-of-its-kind energy project in the United States: a 31MW battery energy storage system (BESS) that will allow a new data centre in the Pacific Northwest to draw grid power years earlier than scheduled. The initiative signals a fundamental shift in how AI infrastructure is deployed, using on-site energy storage not as a backup system, but as an enabler of grid access itself.
A new approach to power constraints
Until now, large data centre operators have been forced to choose between waiting years for grid upgrades or relying on carbon-intensive diesel generation to bridge the gap. The Aligned–Calibrant partnership proposes a third way, using high-capacity batteries to stabilise power demand, support the grid during peak load, and unlock earlier interconnection.
The system, due to be operational in 2026, will provide 62MWh of energy storage, discharging during periods of high demand and charging when capacity is available. That grid-responsive behaviour effectively turns the facility from a power liability into a balancing asset, smoothing the path for utility approval.
Phil Martin, Chief Executive at Calibrant, said the project “flips the script on how data centres access power”. Rather than waiting for long-term upgrades, he said, distributed energy solutions such as this enable large users to connect sooner and operate more sustainably.
The model is being closely watched by utilities, policymakers, and data centre developers facing growing pressure to meet the power demands of AI and high-performance computing (HPC). According to industry analysts, AI-related data centre consumption is forecast to grow severalfold by the end of the decade, driven by the rising intensity of GPU-based computing.
AI reshapes the grid relationship
For AI operators, reliable power is now as strategic as compute capacity. Each new cluster of advanced processors can consume as much electricity as a small town. In regions such as the Pacific Northwest, where renewable energy is abundant, but transmission capacity is limited, battery-based systems could become a bridge between digital expansion and physical grid constraints.
The Aligned project is notable for being the first battery system in the US designed specifically to accelerate grid interconnection rather than serve as emergency backup. Developed through Calibrant’s Path to Power framework, the system represents a replicable approach to bringing new AI-driven facilities online faster without overwhelming local networks.
Andrew Schaap, Chief Executive at Aligned, described the initiative as “a redefinition of how we grow in power-constrained markets”. By absorbing energy during low-demand periods and releasing it when the grid is stressed, he said, the data centre converts its load “from a potential liability into a dynamic grid asset”.
The project has also been designed with safety and domestic manufacturing in mind. All major components, including transformers, switchgear, and battery units, were produced or assembled in the United States. The system incorporates multiple protective measures, from advanced battery chemistries to continuous remote monitoring, to meet and exceed international safety standards.
A replicable model for the AI era
As AI computing scales, energy strategy has become a defining factor for competitiveness. Companies capable of integrating flexible power systems and alternative energy models are better positioned to deploy infrastructure rapidly, especially in regions with constrained grids.
The collaboration between Aligned and Calibrant reflects a broader industry trend: the convergence of AI, energy technology, and grid innovation. Batteries once seen as backup systems are now being reimagined as tools for grid participation and resilience, a shift that could help balance national electricity networks as AI workloads accelerate.
Both firms have confirmed that similar projects are being explored in other markets, suggesting the emergence of a new category of AI-ready energy architecture. In an era when power availability has become the gating factor for digital progress, innovations like this could determine how, and where, the next generation of intelligence is built.
