Power grid woes are not caused by any one industry

A recent article discussed a bill pending in the legislature that reduces red tape for data centers. The article offered a fundamental misunderstanding of the power grid and inexplicably blames certain businesses, in this case data centers, for potential power grid difficulties. Regarding data centers, the author stated: “But they guzzle immense amounts of power, from a grid that still isn’t fueled with a large percentage of clean energy.”

Power grid problems are not caused by any one industry. Likewise, the lack of green energy in the grid cannot be blamed on one industry. The power grid is a national network fed by power generators throughout the country. These generators create power by several methods like coal, natural gas, nuclear solar, and wind. Maryland both produces power and consumes power. We use electric power for home lighting, computers, appliances and to charge devices such as tablets, phones, and cars.

We also perform internet business on a regular basis and use cloud services to manage our ebuisness both at home and at work. That ebusiness requires data centers filled with servers.

The solution to power grid problems is not to restrict the very business that underpins how we increasingly perform our work. It is shortsighted and folly to suggest that power grid problems will fade if we place further restrictions on data centers in Maryland. Those companies will go elsewhere and obtain power from the national grid from a different physical location.

We can agree that our challenge is to expand the power grid and to move toward a more sustainable source of power. That move will not happen overnight, but data suggests that the movement is occurring.

We can and should do both — expand business and green energy.

— William Daley, Stevensville