Power Suppliers See Flexible Load Strategies as Critical to Operations as Data Center Growth Increases, According to OBM Report
New survey of U.S. energy professionals explores challenges and opportunities in building grid resilience as large-load demand continues to rise
BALTIMORE, Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OBM, a leader in flexible load management solutions, today released the findings from its research report, “The State of Flexible Load Management.” Based on a survey of 105 U.S. energy professionals, the report shows how critical load flexibility and demand response (DR) programs are to business operations as grid demand intensifies.
Rapid growth in data centers, AI-driven compute, and electrification across commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors is turning capacity and reliability from long-term planning challenges into daily operational constraints. Respondents cite regulatory uncertainty (37%) and transmission congestion (36%) as obstacles that further complicate planning. To address these challenges, a strong majority of respondents (86%) say load flexibility is extremely or very important to their business today, confirming it has become more than a supplemental or emergency tactic. Moreover, nearly two-thirds (64%) of professionals surveyed say data center growth is influencing how they approach flexible load management by accelerating initiatives that once sat on long-term planning roadmaps.
Other key findings include:
- Investments in DR programs are expected to increase. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) expect funding for DR programs to grow by 50% or more over the next three years.
- Data centers are the top priority for future DR enrollment. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) say data centers are their primary focus, followed by EV charging and fleet depots (36%), advanced manufacturing (33%), and water and wastewater facilities (32%).
- Energy professionals view data centers as potential flexibility assets, not just passive demand. While they remain a major source of load growth and system strain, 57% of respondents indicate that onsite power generation from data centers will be most important to improving grid stability over the next five years.
- Scaling flexible load strategies remains a challenge. Cost and complexity of technology and implementation are cited as the top barrier by 70% of respondents, followed by regulatory uncertainty and lack of incentives (48%) and data integration challenges and limited internal resources (33%).
- Despite obstacles, energy professionals are confident they can manage current strains. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed are optimistic about the sector’s ability to adapt to rising large-load demand.
- AI is being explored to enhance grid flexibility. Half of respondents indicate that AI-driven load forecasting is a priority, while onsite generation remains the top strategy to make flexibility operational at scale (according to 57% of respondents).
-
Load flexibility is central to the future of the grid. By 2030, 44% of respondents say they plan to manage at least half of their energy portfolios through flexible or controllable loads.
“Energy professionals understand that flexible load management is no longer optional; it’s essential infrastructure for operating a reliable grid in the age of data centers and electrification,” said Daniel Lawrence, co-founder and CEO at OBM. “As power suppliers work to translate flexibility strategies into real-world execution, our report highlights a growing need for solutions that make controllable loads practical, reliable, and repeatable in daily operations. OBM helps power suppliers and large-load operators dynamically manage energy use in real time, enabling precise, dependable load control that supports grid stability, reduces risk, and integrates large loads like data centers as active participants in grid reliability.”
Download a copy of The State of Flexible Load Management report here.
To learn more about OBM, visit https://obm.io.
About the Report
OBM’s State of Flexible Load Management report is based on a survey of 105 U.S.-based energy professionals conducted in late 2025. Respondents span utilities, power suppliers, system operators, and organizations directly responsible for managing large commercial and industrial loads.
About OBM
OBM is a leader in flexible load management solutions, providing energy agility, operational simplicity, and risk mitigation through its innovative comprehensive energy optimization platform, and broad energy partnerships. With a proven track record of managing loads over 500 MW and integrating them into leading demand response programs nationwide, OBM is transforming the landscape of energy-intensive operations. The company’s team of experts in energy management, network infrastructure, and data analysis work together to simplify and optimize customer operations, reduce risk, and boost profits. Learn more at https://obm.io.
Media Contact
V2 Communications
OBM@v2comms.com / media@obm.io
(617) 510-5002
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
