The State of Flexible Load Management

How energy professionals are adapting to the new era of power demand

The U.S. power grid is experiencing a period of sustained, high-intensity demand. Rapid growth in data centers, AI-driven compute, and electrification across commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors is turning capacity and reliability from long-term planning challenges into daily operational constraints. Findings from an OBM survey of 105 U.S. energy professionals show that flexible load management is now a critical energy strategy.