How Connected Networks are Helping Google Unlock More Power

While Google is best known for its search, cloud and digital services, one of its biggest operational challenges actually sits beyond software.

As data centres expand to support cloud platforms and AI workloads, access to reliable power is becoming as important as network connectivity.

That challenge is now pushing the technology giant into a deeper relationship with energy infrastructure.

In a new agreement with US-based energy supplier Voltus, Google is backing a model that uses connected devices and software orchestration to unlock electricity capacity across the largest power grid in the US.

With data centres and network operations depending on resilient power supplies, the deal offers an insight into how hyperscalers are tackling energy constraints without waiting for large-scale grid upgrades.

A software-led approach to capacity

At the heart of the agreement is the PJM Interconnection network, the largest electricity system in the US.

Covering 13 states and serving around 67 million people, the grid faces mounting pressure from electrification and digitalisation.

Rather than relying on new transmission lines or generation projects, Google is entering a three-year arrangement with Voltus using a model known as 'Bring Your Own Capacity' (BYOC).

The concept is built around a virtual power plant, which combines thousands of smaller energy resources into a coordinated network that behaves like a traditional power station.

These resources can include domestic battery systems, smart thermostats and other controllable devices.

Much like modern telco networks use software to manage distributed infrastructure, virtual power plants depend on connected technologies and centralised control platforms. Devices communicate through IoT connections, allowing software to coordinate energy usage in real time.

According to Olivia Wang, a Research Analyst at Sightline Climate, BYOC is "a way to allow data centres to leverage existing flexibility on the grid to meet their power needs faster".

"Rather than waiting years for new generation, transmission or substation upgrades," she says, "BYOC allows data centres to source accredited capacity from a virtual power plant composed of flexible loads that already exist on the system."

This means access to additional electricity capacity for Google, while also avoiding the long timelines associated with traditional infrastructure expansion.

Why hyperscalers are looking beyond the fence line

The deal is expected to unlock around 100MW of additional energy capacity.

While modest by hyperscale standards, the project reflects a wider challenge facing major technology firms.

Data centres consume growing amounts of electricity as cloud adoption rises and AI applications become more demanding.

Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta all face heightened competition for available grid capacity, especially in regions where new facilities are concentrated.

The trend carries direct relevance for telecoms.

Many operators rely on hyperscale cloud providers, while others run large data centre estates of their own. Power availability is becoming a strategic issue alongside fibre deployment and network modernisation.

Historically, meeting rising demand requires utilities to invest heavily in new infrastructure.

Building enough capacity to handle periods of peak demand often takes years and costs billions of dollars. Much of that infrastructure then remains underused for long periods.

The BYOC model attempts to reverse that equation. Google funds the aggregation of existing energy resources. Voltus manages those resources and compensates participating homes and businesses for their flexibility.

When additional electricity is required, the system assesses how much capacity can be delivered from the existing network.

This approach mirrors trends already familiar across telecoms, where software-defined systems increasingly extract greater performance from existing infrastructure rather than relying solely on new physical assets.

Connected communities and connected infrastructure

The partnership highlights the growing overlap between digital connectivity and energy management.

Virtual power plants depend on large-scale device connectivity and software coordination, which are both areas that sit close to telco expertise.

Voltus has built its business around that model since launching in 2016.

Today, the company manages more than 7GW of capacity through its platform, making it one of the most prominent virtual power plant aggregators in the US market.

Dana Guernsey, Voltus' CEO, says the agreement could have implications beyond a single project.

"This initial phase of our Google partnership is pioneering a model that large load customers can follow, and we expect it to accelerate the role of distributed energy resources as a capacity solution at scale," she says.

The broader appeal is not limited to technology companies.

Analysis from Brattle Group, cited by Google and Voltus, suggests that better use of existing grid resources through virtual power plants could save US consumers more than US$100bn over the next decade.

Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google, points to the local benefits created by the model.

"This is a transformative model because it creates new, clean capacity for the system and channels investment directly into local communities by paying participating homes and businesses for their energy flexibility," she wrote recently on LinkedIn.

The project overall demonstrates how digital platforms and connected devices are being applied beyond communications networks.

As power availability becomes a critical factor in data centre growth, solutions that unlock existing capacity may become just as important as building new infrastructure.