Energy Group: Ai Growth To Surge Global Energy Demands

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE A MAJOR SPIKE IN GLOBAL ELECTRICITY DEMANDS.

ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY-

ELECTRICITY DEMAND FROM THE DATA CENTERS POWERING THESE AI OPERATIONS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IS GOING TO MORE THAN DOUBLE BY THE END OF THIS DECADE.

COME 2030, THESE FACILITIES WILL REQUIRE MORE ENERGY THAN THE ENTIRE NATION OF JAPAN-

WITH THOSE THAT ARE OPTIMIZED FOR AI PROJECTED TO QUADRUPLE THEIR ENERGY USE.

A TYPICAL AI-FOCUSED DATA CENTER CAN CONSUME AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS 100,000 HOUSEHOLDS-

AND SOME OF THE LARGEST CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION COULD USE UP TO 20 TIMES MORE THAN THAT.

SINCE 2017, THE ENERGY NEED OF DATA CENTERS HAVE GROWN FOUR TIMES FASTER THAN OVERALL ELECTRICITY DEMAND-

NOW ACCOUNTING FOR 1.5 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S POWER USE.

IN THE UNITED STATES, DATA CENTERS ARE PROJECTED TO DRIVE NEARLY HALF OF THE COUNTRY’S ELECTRICITY DEMAND GROWTH THROUGH 2030.

BY THEN, ELECTRICITY USED FOR AI-DRIVEN DATA PROCESSING MAY EXCEED THE COMBINED CONSUMPTION OF THE U.S. ALUMINIUM, STEEL, CEMENT, AND CHEMICAL SECTORS.

ADDITIONALLY, THE CONCENTRATION OF THESE FACILITIES MAY POSE MORE CHALLENGES.

ABOUT 50% OF NEW U.S. DATA CENTERS ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN ALREADY-ESTABLISHED REGIONAL CLUSTERS-

WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCAL ENERGY BOTTLENECKS.

DATA CENTERS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR SOURCE OF EMISSIONS, RISING FROM 180 MILLION TONS OF CO₂ TODAY TO 300 MILLION TONS IN 2035-

EQUIVALENT TO THE AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES GENERATED BY NEARLY 70 MILLION GASOLINE-POWERED CARS.

HOWEVER, THE IEA NOTED CONCERNS OVER AI ACCELERATING CLIMATE CHANGE APPEAR TO BE QUOTE “OVERSTATED”-

AND THAT THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD LEAD TO EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS THAT ARE FAR LARGER THAN THOSE CREATED FROM DATA CENTERS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.