T13-Q04 takes a system perspective, and aims at modeling and analyzing how emissions are generated, dispatched and consumed throughout the power grids and electric energy systems. Both the generator’s generations and consumer’s power demand will significantly impact how carbon emissions are generated and dispatched across the power networks. 

With the emerging large load coming from data centres, they are impacting both spatial and temporal distributions of electrical grid emissions to a large extent. For instance, there could exist a temporal mismatch between peak demand of AI computing and renewables generation (e.g., peak generation of low-emission solar power at noon). Gigawatt-level data centres currently constructed in Alberta would also change transmission line congestion patterns and grid operations, and alter how emissions are generated and distributed across the networks. More interestingly, new data centre projects today are behaving like a “prosumer”, which brings their own generation to generate onsite electricity, while also connecting with the grid to use power and emit CO2 simultaneously. Such behaviors are largely overlooked in today’s practice and literature, which provides a strong motivation to investigate data centres’ emission impact at the power grid scale. By modeling and analyzing data centre’s grid emission impact, we would be able to better understand the interplay between data centres and power systems, as well as identifying the optimal locations and operational plans for data centres to reduce carbon emissions.