Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data center energy, leads the company’s work on power procurement, energy policy and infrastructure for its data centers. She has about 20 years of experience in energy finance, renewable-power development and electricity procurement, including previous roles at Macquarie Infrastructure Company, Chevron Energy Solutions, Agile Energy and General Electric Energy Financial Services.
Corio says Google is using demand flexibility to make some data-center electricity use responsive to grid conditions. Non-urgent machine-learning workloads can be shifted or reduced when electricity systems face peak demand or emergencies, although the amount of flexibility varies by location and by the type of computing involved. Google demonstrated the approach during three grid emergencies in Nebraska in 2024 and later signed agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority to manage machine-learning loads during periods of grid strain.
The strategy is intended to complement, not replace, new generation and transmission. Corio identified power capacity and skilled electrical workers as major constraints, noting that capacity shortages can involve generation, transmission, or both. Google says it is supporting training for 100,000 electrical workers and 30,000 apprentices through the Electrical Training Alliance, while also working on advanced transmission conductors and artificial-intelligence tools intended to speed grid interconnection applications.
Google generally favors grid-connected data centers because shared networks provide redundancy and pooled resources, but it is also examining co-located generation where transmission limits make ordinary connections difficult. The company has announced partnerships involving new generation, advanced nuclear power and other clean-energy technologies. Corio said flexible computing remains available only in some locations, and essential services such as Search, Maps and cloud workloads for critical industries limit how much demand can be curtailed.