Data Centers Need To Bring Their Own Power

Data centers are not hard to build, much. The primary ingredients are Nvidia chips and server farms. Once built, however, they do not run without staggering amounts of electricity. There are fewer and fewer cases where that will be readily available. There are too many other residents and legacy businesses that need power. Often, utilities are at their maximum capacity. As Axios points out, a data center constitution may mean that, as part of the construction, energy sources need to be built or provided as well. 

Axios reports, Energy Secretary Chris Wright says “If there is not available power for you, you have to bring the energy with you.” Although this cannot be done in most cases, his comments have an anchor. Many unities have little to offer. Some grid systems and power sources were built decades ago. Because electricity use in the US has been fairly flat for over 20 years, the issue of extra capacity was not part of infrastructure plans.

What is rarely mentioned is that the plan for data centers may involve a slowdown, regardless of how important AI is to the future of technology. AI companies have argued that they are in a race with China for supremacy in artificial intelligence. Several experts argue that China already has sufficient sources of electricity, so this is not a significant issue. That can’t be proven. China is not going to let US interests inspect its energy generation or grids. 

Rebuilding The Grid

Bringing your own power may mean no power at all for the time being. Upgrading the grids will take years. So, will adding succinct solar, wind (if Trump does not kill it), and nuclear, which has regulatory hurdles, be beneficial? In the meantime, the alternatives are primarily natural gas and coal. 

There may not be enough electricity for the outsized needs of data centers