The United States is experiencing a growing demand for power as current production is at an all-time high, and that demand is expected to be 50% higher by 2050. Sectors like transportation, industrial, residential and commercial are leading areas that energy consumption is at its highest. However, with the rise of AI, a new player has been introduced to the scene and is driving consumption to new heights.
AI queries, servers, and entire data centers are multiplying each day, quickly taking over a large portion of the United States’ predicted energy usage. Each AI server request requires up to 30 times the amount of energy that a normal search does. Additionally, cooling costs also must be considered, as cooling global data centers will add 50% to the energy costs to keep these servers at a safe temperature.
Without power, many vital systems like transportation, communication, supply chains and banking will go down. In addition to the AI stress added to our current systems, the United States has aging infrastructure that cannot keep up with the demand. Old transmission lines, substations and power transformers are hard to maintain and upkeep. Due to sheer size, cost, and time constraints, new solutions are needed to make the needed changes.
Experts suggest exploring alternative power sources, such as nuclear energy, to relieve our aging systems of stress. In fact, the US government aims to quadruple nuclear energy by 2050. Making these changes could speed up interconnection queues and make the entire system more efficiently. In order to improve lead times, some industry professionals suggest using suppliers based in the United States for new equipment. The availability is higher, shipping is faster, and there is a better warranty than some outsourced products. Creating this better infrastructure will lead to a better future, and a powered future, for all.
Source: ELSCO
