NREL & Google Host Artificial Intelligence Hackathon To Tackle Data Center Energy Challenges - CleanTechnica

NREL and Google collaborated to host a two-day hackathon in June 2025, bringing together around 50 experts from nine U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories to explore the use of Google’s generative AI and large language model tools in addressing energy challenges faced by U.S. data centers. The event aimed to leverage advanced AI capabilities, including Google’s Gemini platform and tools like Agentspace, Idea Generation, and Deep Research, to improve energy reliability, affordability, and scalability in data center operations. Participants applied these AI tools to real-world problems such as geospatial analytics, energy systems optimization, digital-twin development, and grid outage prediction using weather forecasting models. The hackathon fostered collaboration between DOE researchers and multiple Google teams, including Google Public Sector, DeepMind, Google Research, and Climate Ops, highlighting the potential of AI to accelerate innovation in energy management and grid resilience. Google emphasized the importance of this partnership in addressing critical national issues like energy security and data center