The AI power war Has started: Small Georgia town howls about electricity cables

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It was only a matter of time before AI data center electricity needs in the U.S. began to invade residential areas, with predictions that, by next year, global AI energy use may match Japan’s entire electricity use.

In part, it’s because not enough electricity is being generated to meet the growing demand and also due to the fact that America’s ancient power grid cannot match demand.

One of the early battle sites is in Fayetteville, Ga., where a Blackstone-backed data center will run electric cables across a large part of the small city, meaning that high voltage wires will cross over many homes and businesses, something that has many residents up in arms.

According to Bloomberg, “The lines were set to hook into the latest piece of Blackstone Inc.’s data-center empire. In the process, they would lay bare to the city of Fayetteville, Georgia, and surrounding residents just how power-hungry the AI revolution will be.”

Ugly wires
Some residents and businesses will benefit from new jobs and tax money paid to the city, which will support local services. However, the issues of ugly and possibly dangerous electricity cables has some locals up in arms.

And then there’s the money angle. Among the ongoing anxiety about AI is that it will draw down electricity supply so much that pricing for all customers will reflect demand, thus possibly raising costs to local residents and businesses. And while AI centers are supported by the world’s largest tech companies and financial firms, locals can only turn to their local governments and, perhaps, class-action law firms. Based on balance sheets, it is easy to guess the eventual winner.

Fossil fuels linger
Meanwhile, electricity generation is still primarily powered by fossil fuels, so local areas face the possibility of increased pollution and tech companies will likely need to give up their stated green energy goals.

Renewables, particularly wind, solar and nuclear, are the final step toward more plentiful energy for all, but the process for these to become the dominant source of energy will take years, meaning that places such as Fayetteville will have so suffer from an electricity invasion.