Electricity Need To Jump Four-Fold In Five Years

The result of computing powered by AI data centers dwarfs any electricity demand in US history. New forecasts show that the amount of electricity needed for these installations will move up 4X between last year and 2030. Some experts say fulfilling that need is impossible. No one knows how much that will cap AI growth, or what it will do to supply for residential and legacy business customers. 

The FT reports an increase in “estimated annual electricity from data centres to 2030, terawatt hours (TWh).” It also reports that the need will create surges and not a smooth demand throughout each day. Some utilities handle these problems with “brown outs.” That means, based on the projected trend, “black outs” are around the corner.

Political Problem

The electricity demand problem is not just financial, although there is a point at which costs could cripple residential customers. The problem spills over into a political one. Electricity will become a hot topic like women’s rights and immigration. AI companies will double down on what they pay to lobbyists. Voters will view the issue as a reason to pick one candidate over others.

While it seems ridiculous to think that AI could become an essential part of campaign trail statements, the time that happens is probably less than one election cycle away.

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