A Novel Hierarchical Co-Optimization Framework for Coordinated Task Scheduling and Power Dispatch in Computing Power Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a two-stage co-optimization framework for computing power networks that enhances efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, and improves task scheduling by integrating deep reinforcement learning with power dispatch strategies.

Contribution

It presents a novel hierarchical co-optimization framework combining stochastic unit commitment and real-time adaptive task scheduling using deep reinforcement learning.

Findings

Reduces carbon emissions by 16.2%

Decreases operational costs by 12.7%

Cuts RES curtailment by over 60%

Abstract

The proliferation of large-scale AI and data-intensive applications has driven the development of Computing Power Networks (CPN). It is a key paradigm for delivering ubiquitous, on-demand computational services with high efficiency. However, CPNs face dual challenges in service computing. Immense energy consumption threatens sustainable operations. And the integration with power grids also features high penetration of intermittent Renewable Energy Sources (RES), complicating task scheduling while ensuring Quality of Service (QoS). To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel Two-Stage Co-Optimization (TSCO) framework. It synergistically coordinates CPN task scheduling and power system dispatch, aiming to optimize service performance while achieving low-carbon operations. The framework decomposes the complex, large-scale problem into a day-ahead stochastic unit commitment stage and a real-time operational stage. The former is solved using Benders decomposition for computational tractability, while in the latter, economic dispatch of generation assets is coupled with an adaptive CPN task scheduling managed by a deep reinforcement learning agent. It makes carbon-aware decisions by responding to dynamic grid conditions, including real-time electricity prices and marginal carbon intensity. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the TSCO outperforms baseline approaches significantly. It reduces carbon emissions by 16.2% and operational costs by 12.7%, while decreasing RES curtailment by over $60\%$, maintaining a task success rate of 98.5%, and minimizing average task tardiness to 12.3s. This work advances cross-domain service optimization in CPNs.