To build the energy systems needed to fuel growth, the U.S. will need to weigh choices and tradeoffs.
The adage “knowledge is power” could be recast: knowledge consumes power. Throughout history, the advance of knowledge has led to the invention of new products and services. These innovations inevitably increase energy consumption. With the invention of useful artificial intelligence (AI), we have another example of that truth.
AI-focused data centers, more than any other single factor, are driving growth in regional and national electricity demands at a rate not seen in a half-century. The boom has caused the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to more than triple its formerly tepid forecast for growth in U.S. power demand by 2030. The lower end of its growth estimate would be equivalent to adding about five times New York City’s peak power usage.
