  The unprecedented rapid growth of computing demand for AI is projected to
increase global annual datacenter (DC) growth from 7.2% to 11.3%. We project
the 5-year AI DC demand for several power grids and assess whether they will
allow desired AI growth (resource adequacy). If not, several "desperate
measures" -- grid policies that enable more load growth and maintain grid
reliability by sacrificing new DC reliability are considered.
  We find that two DC hotspots -- EirGrid (Ireland) and Dominion (US) -- will
have difficulty accommodating new DCs needed by the AI growth. In EirGrid,
relaxing new DC reliability guarantees increases the power available to
1.6x--4.1x while maintaining 99.6% actual power availability for the new DCs,
sufficient for the 5-year AI demand. In Dominion, relaxing reliability
guarantees increases available DC capacity similarly (1.5x--4.6x) but not
enough for the 5-year AI demand. New DCs only receive 89% power availability.
Study of other US power grids -- SPP, CAISO, ERCOT -- shows that sufficient
capacity exists for the projected AI load growth.
  Our results suggest the need to rethink adequacy assessment and also grid
planning and management. New research opportunities include coordinated
planning, reliability models that incorporate load flexibility, and adaptive
load abstractions.
