Thomas Catenacci of the Washington Free Beacon details one of the side effects of the growth of artificial intelligence.
Electric bills for millions of Americans are expected to rise by more than 20 percent in the coming months. The number of power grid blackouts could double by 2030. Electricity demand in that same time period will skyrocket, far surpassing current levels.
It’s all part of what the top North American power grid watchdog says is one of the grid’s “greatest near-term reliability challenges”: the rapid development of data centers, which contain fast-working, electricity-hungry computer systems that support artificial intelligence technology.
Across the country, tech firms are building data centers faster than power companies can build new electricity generation plants, creating the potential for supply crunches and shortages. By 2028, data centers are projected to account for up to 12 percent of total electricity consumption nationwide, and the United States is expected to consume more electricity for data processing than for manufacturing all energy-intensive goods combined—that includes aluminum, steel, cement, and chemicals.
By comparison, the total electricity generated in the United States increased about 3 percent last year.
That dynamic is raising policy questions for lawmakers, regulators, and industry about the speed of power development and whether new power generation will be fossil fuel-based or green energy. Those questions are urgent: A Harvard study this year found that consumers face billions of dollars in rate increases to pay for new data center-related grid improvements. According to a study commissioned by the government of Virginia, which is home to hundreds of data centers, new data center development will likely increase electricity costs “for all customers.”
The issue is on full display up and down the Mid-Atlantic, which has been dubbed “Data Center Alley,” where more data centers have been constructed than in any other region in the world.
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Author: Mitch Kokai
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