Rethinking Grid Connections for the AI Era with Paul Manning (NovoGrid)

Aug 21, 2025

Paul Manning, Co-Founder and Commercial Director at Novogrid, discusses the energy grid's challenges with surging demands from hyperscale data centers. He highlights how these "giga-campuses" may request gigawatts of power, likening it to an entire country's demand. The conversation explores the need for flexible connections and real-time load management to efficiently connect these facilities. Manning also stresses the importance of smart planning and renewable integration, indicating a shift towards innovative solutions in grid operations.

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INSIGHT

Model The Grid From Day One

NovaGrid models grid behavior from "time zero" to predict impact of adding generation or demand.
Paul Manning uses those models to decide feasibility before any connection work starts.

INSIGHT

Hyperscalers Create Unprecedented Demand

Hyperscale data centres request gigawatt connections, vastly larger than typical sites.
Paul Manning compares a single gigawatt campus to a decade of Portugal's demand to show scale.

ADVICE

Choose Flexible Connections

Use non-firm (flexible) connections to speed up grid access instead of waiting years for firm reinforcement.
Match computational workload to grid availability and plan for quantified curtailment risk.

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The energy grid is facing a new kind of challenge: enormous, fast-arriving demand from hyperscale data centres, driven by AI and digitalisation.

These “giga-campuses” are no longer talking about tens of megawatts they’re applying for a gigawatt of capacity in a single location.That’s the same scale of demand Portugal expects to add across the entire country over a decade - now requested in one UK town.

For National Grid, developers, and policymakers, the question is urgent: how do you connect this demand without waiting 15 years for traditional reinforcements?

It is increasingly clear that the future of large-scale demand isn’t just about building faster, it’s about building smarter. Flexible connections, real-time load management, and accurate grid modelling will be essential to connect AI-era demand without crippling the network or wasting resources.

In this episode of Transmission, Ed sits down with Paul Manning, Commercial Director at Novogrid, about how real-time data and control can transform grid operations. From improving renewable integration to reducing connection delays, they explore the technology, market design, and operational shifts needed to build a more dynamic and efficient electricity system.

⚡ Why hyperscale data centres break the old rules for grid planning and capacity allocation.

⚡The bottleneck: why firm connections could delay projects for over a decade.

⚡ Flexible (non-firm) connections as a faster route and what this means for data centre operations.

⚡ How to align computational load with grid availability to avoid stranded assets and wasted capacity.

⚡ The role of grid analytics in de-risking curtailment and speeding up the transition

About the Guest

Paul Manning is Co-Founder and Commercial Director at Novogrid, a grid analytics company acquired by Danish energy services firm Opora. Novagrid specialises in modelling the energy grid and helping clients plan projects from “time zero” before a single cable is laid, to secure the best possible connection strategy. For more information, check out their website.

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