78% of US Utilities Deploy AI as Grid Reliability Tops Net-Zero Priority
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Boston – September 19, 2026 -- Seventy-eight percent of U.S. utility innovation leaders are now deploying or operationalizing artificial intelligence to manage interconnection demand, as AI data centers strain power grids nationwide, according to National Grid Partners' third annual Utility Innovation Survey.
Grid reliability overtakes net-zero as the industry's top concern
The survey found 74% of respondents say AI-driven data center load growth is already impacting grid reliability. When ranking organizational priorities, 73% of utility leaders placed reliability in their top three, up sharply from 43% in 2025. Net-zero goals, by contrast, fell from 54% to just 16% over the same period.