Behind-the-meter power
Electricity generated or managed on-site by a facility, not supplied by the main utility grid.
Behind-the-meter power refers to electricity that a building or facility generates or manages for its own use, rather than buying it directly from the public utility.
Think of it like having your own power source, such as solar panels on a factory roof or a backup generator. This power is "behind the meter" because it's used before it gets to the utility meter that measures your overall consumption from the grid.
AI labs need a lot of power. They are looking into generating or managing their own power to ensure a stable and potentially cheaper supply for their massive computing needs.
Behind-the-meter power encompasses on-site electricity generation (e.g., solar, gas turbines, small modular reactors) and energy storage systems (e.g., batteries) managed within a facility's boundary. This power bypasses or supplements the traditional utility grid supply, offering potential benefits in cost, reliability, and carbon footprint management.
For AI data centers, which have extremely high and growing energy demands, behind-the-meter solutions can provide a dedicated, stable power source, mitigating risks associated with grid instability or price volatility. This is crucial for uninterrupted training and inference operations.
The term is relevant now because AI labs face immense power demands for their data centers. Companies like OpenAI are exploring on-site power generation and management to ensure a consistent and scalable energy supply for their rapidly expanding AI infrastructure.
- OpenAI’s Compute Chief: We Can’t Build Fast Enough | Sachin KattiOpenAI · The MAD Podcast ·
- OpenAI ChatGPT
- OpenAI's compute chief has discussed the need for massive amounts of power, implying interest in behind-the-meter solutions for their infrastructure.
- Off-grid power
- Off-grid power is completely independent of the utility grid, wh
- Virtual Power Plant
- A virtual power plant aggregates distributed energy resourc
The term 'behind-the-meter' originates from the electricity industry, referring to energy consumption and generation that occurs after the utility's main meter, typically within a customer's premises.
While you can't directly implement behind-the-meter power in 5 minutes, you can explore how solar power works by using an online solar calculator to estimate how much energy your roof could generate. This helps visualize on-site power generation. Alternatively, research local community solar projects to understand how groups can invest in shared renewable energy generation.
The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.
- PromptRole-play a student struggling with math for AI tutor simulationSimulate a student's math struggles and uncertainty for AI tutor evaluation. · 5 min
- TemplateReusable workflow templates for healthcare teamsTeams can create and share templates for common workflows like documentation or prior authorizations. · 15 min
- TemplateTemplate for building an AI tool tailored to your workA structured approach to defining and building a custom AI tool for specific business needs. · 15 min
- TemplateEvals CSV prompt list for agent skillsA CSV file template for listing prompts used in evaluating agent skills. · 20 min
- HeuristicDouble coding agent task completion with docs linksProviding coding agents with a documentation link significantly increases their task completion rate. · 2 min
Questions people ask
- Why is behind-the-meter power important for AI?
- AI requires massive, consistent power for data centers. Behind-the-meter solutions offer a way to secure this power reliably and potentially at a lower cost, independent of grid fluctuations.
- What are examples of behind-the-meter power?
- Examples include on-site solar panel installations, backup diesel generators, and large battery storage systems used by a facility to power its operations.
First seen on Subvolts Jul 16, 2026. Updated Sep 16, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.