Agreement on Joint Study for Integrated Operation of Distributed AI Data Centers, Workload Shift, and Wide-Area Optical Network Technology
Seven companies, including J-POWER, Hitachi, Cisco, Bitmedia, JR East, JR West Optical Network, and Nagoya Railroad, have agreed to a joint study aimed at the integrated operation of distributed AI data centers, workload shift, and wide-area optical network technology. This initiative seeks to link power and information communication infrastructure to stabilize and enhance the efficiency of power systems and promote the formation of regionally distributed digital infrastructure.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 23:05
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 00:02 (56 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 04:39 (4h 36m after Collected)
J-POWER (Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd. (hereinafter "Hitachi"), Cisco Systems G.K. (hereinafter "Cisco"), Bitmedia Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Bitmedia"), East Japan Railway Company (hereinafter "JR East"), JR West Optical Network Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "JR West Optical Network"), and Nagoya Railroad Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Nagoya Railroad") will commence a joint study (hereinafter "this Study") aimed at technical verification for the construction of Workload Shift (WLS)*1 and Wide-Area All-Optical Network (APN)*2 for AI data centers (hereinafter "AI-DC"). In conjunction with this Study, a Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter "this MOU") has been concluded, and the "Wide-Area APN/Workload Shift Innovation Promotion Council" has been established, comprising the parties to this MOU.
This Study aims to establish a new operational model that leverages regionally distributed data centers (hereinafter "DC") as a strength contributing to the stabilization and efficiency of power systems. Specifically, a secure, private APN network spanning the entire country will be constructed using unused optical fiber lines (dark fiber/hereinafter "DF") owned by the J-POWER Group, JR companies, and private railway operators. Furthermore, by combining WLS technology, multiple geographically dispersed AI-DCs will be linked and cooperatively operated, aiming to function as if they were a single large-scale DC.
Through this social implementation, the initiative will contribute to the realization of the "Watt-Bit Collaboration"*3 policy, which integrally advances power and information communication infrastructure. This will lead to the stabilization and efficiency of power systems, the promotion of integrated formation of regionally distributed digital infrastructure, and further foster regional coexistence.
*1 Workload Shift (WLS): A technology that promotes the adjustment of power supply and demand balance and the effective utilization of computing resources by shifting computational load (computing load) temporally or spatially.
*2 All-Optical Network (APN): A next-generation optical network technology that achieves low latency, large capacity, and low power consumption by transmitting light signals without converting them into electrical signals.
*3 Watt-Bit Collaboration: A coined term combining the unit of power "W (Watt)" and the unit of information communication "bit (Bit)", representing a public-private initiative to integrally develop power and information communication infrastructure to build a sustainable and efficient social foundation.
●Background
Currently, with the growing expectations for generative AI, social infrastructure operators have an increasing need to utilize highly reliable and secure AI-DCs to safely handle vast amounts of confidential data. To meet these needs, J-POWER and Hitachi, which are responsible for critical social infrastructure businesses, are collaborating on the construction and operation of J-POWER's AI-DCs (press release issued on July 7, 2025: J-POWER and Hitachi Agree on Joint Study for J-POWER's AI Data Center Construction). J-POWER's carbon-neutral power sources (hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, etc.) located nationwide, combined with Hitachi's strategic SIB (Social Innovation Business) leading the IT equipment and operational know-how of DCs, and rich expertise in data and AI utilization through OT (Operational Technology) and Lumada*4, aim to realize safe and clean AI-DCs.
Meanwhile, computing and power demand in DCs are rapidly expanding, significantly impacting the power system. Furthermore, with the advancement of decarbonization, the introduction of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is progressing, leading to an increasing number of cases where output curtailment*5 occurs in specific regions or time periods.
To address these challenges, there is a demand to establish a distributed DC operational model that does not concentrate DCs in specific areas of the Tokyo metropolitan area but disperses them across multiple regions, including rural areas. These DCs would be virtually integrated by APN, and computing demand would be flexibly controlled according to power supply and demand conditions, thereby achieving stabilization and efficiency of the power system. To realize this, it is crucial to leverage the characteristics of APN—low power consumption, low latency, and large-capacity communication—to resolve communication performance and quality issues associated with distributed locations.
*4 Lumada: Hitachi's collective term for solutions, services, and technologies utilizing advanced digital technologies to create value from customer data and accelerate digital innovation.
*5 Output Curtailment: Temporarily suppressing the amount of power generated by solar, wind, and other power sources, even if generation is possible, due to imbalances in power supply and demand or constraints in the power grid.
●Roles of Each Company
In this Study, by combining the knowledge, technologies, and know-how of each company, a secure and highly reliable closed wide-area APN will be constructed by interconnecting private optical fibers. For its construction, optical fiber lines owned nationwide by JR companies and private railway operators will be utilized.
This Study aims to establish a new operational model that leverages regionally distributed data centers (hereinafter "DC") as a strength contributing to the stabilization and efficiency of power systems. Specifically, a secure, private APN network spanning the entire country will be constructed using unused optical fiber lines (dark fiber/hereinafter "DF") owned by the J-POWER Group, JR companies, and private railway operators. Furthermore, by combining WLS technology, multiple geographically dispersed AI-DCs will be linked and cooperatively operated, aiming to function as if they were a single large-scale DC.
Through this social implementation, the initiative will contribute to the realization of the "Watt-Bit Collaboration"*3 policy, which integrally advances power and information communication infrastructure. This will lead to the stabilization and efficiency of power systems, the promotion of integrated formation of regionally distributed digital infrastructure, and further foster regional coexistence.
*1 Workload Shift (WLS): A technology that promotes the adjustment of power supply and demand balance and the effective utilization of computing resources by shifting computational load (computing load) temporally or spatially.
*2 All-Optical Network (APN): A next-generation optical network technology that achieves low latency, large capacity, and low power consumption by transmitting light signals without converting them into electrical signals.
*3 Watt-Bit Collaboration: A coined term combining the unit of power "W (Watt)" and the unit of information communication "bit (Bit)", representing a public-private initiative to integrally develop power and information communication infrastructure to build a sustainable and efficient social foundation.
●Background
Currently, with the growing expectations for generative AI, social infrastructure operators have an increasing need to utilize highly reliable and secure AI-DCs to safely handle vast amounts of confidential data. To meet these needs, J-POWER and Hitachi, which are responsible for critical social infrastructure businesses, are collaborating on the construction and operation of J-POWER's AI-DCs (press release issued on July 7, 2025: J-POWER and Hitachi Agree on Joint Study for J-POWER's AI Data Center Construction). J-POWER's carbon-neutral power sources (hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, etc.) located nationwide, combined with Hitachi's strategic SIB (Social Innovation Business) leading the IT equipment and operational know-how of DCs, and rich expertise in data and AI utilization through OT (Operational Technology) and Lumada*4, aim to realize safe and clean AI-DCs.
Meanwhile, computing and power demand in DCs are rapidly expanding, significantly impacting the power system. Furthermore, with the advancement of decarbonization, the introduction of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is progressing, leading to an increasing number of cases where output curtailment*5 occurs in specific regions or time periods.
To address these challenges, there is a demand to establish a distributed DC operational model that does not concentrate DCs in specific areas of the Tokyo metropolitan area but disperses them across multiple regions, including rural areas. These DCs would be virtually integrated by APN, and computing demand would be flexibly controlled according to power supply and demand conditions, thereby achieving stabilization and efficiency of the power system. To realize this, it is crucial to leverage the characteristics of APN—low power consumption, low latency, and large-capacity communication—to resolve communication performance and quality issues associated with distributed locations.
*4 Lumada: Hitachi's collective term for solutions, services, and technologies utilizing advanced digital technologies to create value from customer data and accelerate digital innovation.
*5 Output Curtailment: Temporarily suppressing the amount of power generated by solar, wind, and other power sources, even if generation is possible, due to imbalances in power supply and demand or constraints in the power grid.
●Roles of Each Company
In this Study, by combining the knowledge, technologies, and know-how of each company, a secure and highly reliable closed wide-area APN will be constructed by interconnecting private optical fibers. For its construction, optical fiber lines owned nationwide by JR companies and private railway operators will be utilized.