data-center load dropped over a six-fault, 82 s sequence (NoVA, Jul 2024; NERC Level 3 alert 2026) — the swing go-live first exposes
~1.5 GWobserved
| Value kind | observed — Reported measurements, counts, and specifications keep the precision and scope stated by their source; an exact specification is not treated as a range. |
|---|---|
| Scope | Load loss as seen by the grid. NERC's incident review found the affected data centers transferred their loads to backup power — static UPS, decentralized rack UPS, or DRUPS — in response to the disturbance. The figure is a loss of demand at the interconnection, not evidence that IT power was interrupted or that training jobs restarted. |
| Caveat | The approximately 1,500 MW is a local customer-side load reduction coincident with the six-fault sequence; NERC reports approximately 1,260 MW as the sustained drop at the third depression. The 2026 Level 3 alert is a separate regulatory action concerning this class of risk. A second, larger occurrence followed on 2026-07-22: ~3.8 GW dropped on a single normally-cleared Ashburn 230 kV fault (see companion key number) — two vintages of the same failure mode, so do not size to the 2024 event as the high-water mark. |
| As of | 2024-07 |
| Source | NERC Incident Review (Jan. 8, 2025); NERC Level 3 Computational Load Alert (May 4, 2026) · Incident Review pp. 1–3: approximately 1,500 MW, six successive faults in an 82-second period, exclusively data-center-type load; Level 3 Alert pp. 1 and 7–8: May 4, 2026 alert and Essential Action #5 |
| Review | checking…review by 2026-12-22 · standard cadence |
| Recorded changes | last 2026-08-24 · 4 revisions tracked |
| Claim id | data-center-load-dropped-over-a-six-fault-82-s |
Where the guide uses it
- 13.10 Staged Power/Load Ramp, Go-Live & Handover to Operations
- 14.13 Agentic Ops, RL Control & the Autonomy Ladder
← Full numbers register — every date-stamped figure in the guide, with revision history.