Energy needed for AI, crypto could power about a third of the US in coming years

[JACK AYLMER]

FOR ROUGHLY 30 YEARS – ELECTRICITY DEMAND IN THE U.S. HASN’T CHANGED MUCH.

BUT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS – DEMAND COULD DOUBLE – AND IN TEN – TRIPLE. 

IT’S PUTTING AMERICA ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH A MAJOR PROBLEM.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO ADDRESS THE GROWING ISSUE.

RACK AFTER RACK OF THESE.

DATA CENTERS.

THE U.S. HAS LONG BEEN ENERGY HUNGRY – BUT IN THE PAST – WE BUILT UP CAPACITY TO HANDLE BIG JUMPS IN ELECTRIC USAGE.

THAT KINDA WENT OUT THE WINDOW IN RECENT YEARS. 

FROM THE MINING OF CRYPTO CURRENCY TO THE EVEN MORE RECENT RISE OF AI. 

WE’RE SEEING A HUGE SPIKE IN DEMAND ALL AT ONCE. 

AI APPLICATIONS ON THEIR OWN COULD USE AS MUCH POWER AS THE NETHERLANDS BY 2027.

IN THE U.S. – POWER DEMAND FROM DATA CENTERS IS EXPECTED  TO DOUBLE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS – ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY.

AND BY 2030, IT’S LIKELY TO TRIPLE.

PUTTING THE DRAIN FROM DATA CENTERS ON PAR WITH WHAT’S REQUIRED TO POWER 40 MILLION HOMES.

WITH MORE OF THESE POWER HUNGRY SERVER FARMS POPPING UP EVERY DAY – WE’RE CURRENTLY GROWING AT AN UNSUSTAINABLE RATE.

THINK OF OUR COUNTRY’S DEMAND FOR POWER – LIKE CARS ON A HIGHWAY.

THE ROAD IS BUILT TO HANDLE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC – BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SAY, AN AMUSEMENT PARK OPENS NEARBY? 

THE NUMBER OF CARS TRAVELING SUDDENLY INCREASES AND TRAFFIC JAMS START.

WELL, CONSIDER AI AND CRYPTO THE ATTRACTIONS AT OUR DATA CENTER AMUSEMENT PARK. 

THE U.S. GRID WASN’T BUILT TO HANDLE THE SHEER AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, OR IN THIS CASE, ELECTRICITY NEEDED.

ELECTRIC GRID OPERATORS ARE ALREADY WARNING UNPRECEDENTED DATA CENTER LOAD GROWTH IS GOING TO PUSH THEM TO THE LIMIT.

SIMPLY PUT: THE U.S. IS GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE POWER.

ON PAR WITH BUILDING 40 NEW NUCLEAR PANTS – THAT MUCH MORE POWER. 

AND SOON.

THE NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY RELIABILITY COUNCIL PREDICTS THAT 13 OF 20 POWER SYSTEMS ARE AT RISK OF AN ENERGY SHORTFALL BY AS EARLY AS THIS SUMMER.