Welcome to the Bits & Watts Initiative
The electricity grid is undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation. The mission of Bits & Watts is to engage research, education, and industry to anticipate that change and find innovative and sustainable solutions to power the 21st century electric grid.
Bits & Watts Flagship on Sustainably Powering AI
AI offers enormous potential for a sustainable future, leveraging the vast amount of data in the energy system to optimize everything from battery management to changing energy markets to grid operation and planning. But this intellectual power comes at the cost of electrical power, and lots of it. The rapid growth of AI is straining the existing power grid. In response to the challenges presented by AI, Bits & Watts Initiative launched a flagship program on Sustainably Powering AI in 2025.
Learn more about the flagship here.
Powering AI at Speed in California
AI x Energy: A Transatlantic Utility Perspective
News
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“The stage is set for a new political consensus that might allow us to build out our energy potential,” says Philip Zelikow, a Hoover Institution senior fellow, whose U.S. federal service includes bipartisan projects across five presidential administrations – from Reagan through Obama.
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New seed grants expand Stanford’s interdisciplinary portfolio on powering AI sustainably, spanning community engagement, resilient electrical infrastructure, efficient data centers, and environmental sustainability.
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$6.3 million for new projects in the past year covers the breadth of energy challenges, from sustainably powering AI and industrial decarbonization to renewable fuels and energy security.
Education
Explore our educational offerings.
Smart Grid Seminar Education for Industry Wildland Fire Seminar Series
Research
Learn about our research programs.
Seed Grants EV50 Flagship Project Precourt Pioneering Projects Member Collaboration Projects
Join us
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