PNNL, Amazon Team Up to AI-Proof the Grid

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has partnered with Amazon Web Services to develop and test advanced AI tools aimed at making the U.S. electric grid more reliable, secure and affordable. The collaboration will use PNNL's Electricity Infrastructure Operating Center alongside a secure Amazon cloud environment to simulate grid disruptions from severe weather, cyberattacks and surging demand. A key focus is neuro-symbolic AI, which combines machine learning with physics-based reasoning to reduce errors common in large language models. The partnership arrives as data centers drive rapid electricity demand growth, with some facilities drawing power equivalent to a small city and creating sharp demand swings within milliseconds.