Carrie Tharp’s Post

Suddenly, everyone is talking (and often fretting) about the energy demands of AI. So, how is AI contributing to America’s growing hunger for electricity? And what technologies and grid management techniques can address it? On May 8th, Latitude Media will be holding a live, virtual Transition-AI event. I'll be talking with three experts about the AI energy boom: 🔐🔌 Brian Janous, co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure, a former VP of energy at Microsoft who saw how the rise of ChatGPT complicated clean energy procurement -- and who's now working to unlock new grid capacity. 🏭 🚫 Michelle Solomon, a senior policy analyst at Energy Innovation Policy and Technology LLC, who co-authored a new report on the many ways utilities can meet rising demand without building new fossil gas plants. 🕋 🔋 John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna, who's focused on building data centers for batch processing that utilize excess renewable energy. We will be talking about forecasts for AI power demand, acute impacts on the grid, the dash to gas, alternative solutions like storage and grid-enhancing technologies, data center design, and also the positive benefits of AI for managing demand. This event is for a wide range of folks: utilities, developers, solutions providers, data center operators, energy buyers, policymakers, and analysts. Don’t miss it! Here's the link to register: https://lnkd.in/eJKSaB-U

Dr. Michael Webber on AI and Energy: A Double-Edged Sword Key takeaways from our interview with UT Austin's energy expert: 1. Load growth challenge: Data centers, EVs, and more are pushing the grid to its limits. 2. AI as both problem and solution: While increasing demand, AI could optimize grid management. 3. EV charging strategy: Smart, spread-out charging is crucial to prevent grid overload. 4. Data center energy use: Most intensive during AI training, then levels off. 5. Innovation opportunity: Compares current challenges to post-WWII electrification boom. "We need more power plants, more transmission, more distribution, but also more grid edge technologies, and more smarts around how we use the data and analytics to optimize what we do." - Dr. Webber Read or watch the full interview here: https://ow.ly/QOjM50Ts7UF

9% The percentage of U.S. electricity that could be used by data centers by 2030, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. Goldman Sachs estimates around 47 gigawatts of new power generation capacity will be required to support this demand. Analysts at Fitch Ratings say utilities also risk overestimating the demand from data centers and overbuilding, given the inconsistent ways that the industry tallies future demand. “We have companies that didn’t exist 24 months ago now asking for 100 megawatts of power, what's the real demand?" #ai #energy #grids #foodforthought

E&E News' Peter Behr wrote about the power needs of data centers and how utilities are addressing the increasing load growth. EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor spoke with Behr for the article. As Mansoor explained, utilities, grid planners, data center operators and their customers should be working together to develop clean energy. In a report to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm's energy advisory board, EPRI urged the nation to "transition to carbon-free electricity sources for data center operations and low carbon technologies for backup power." The article also cited EPRI's recent research on data centers. See the EPRI report here: https://lnkd.in/e26aqNpe Subscribers can read more here: https://lnkd.in/ez5d8PrW

EPRI's VP of electrification and sustainable energy strategy, David Porter, recently talked with Axios about the rapidly growing energy demand and #AI. "The biggest challenge facing utilities is building new infrastructure to meet rapidly growing energy demands...Another option to pursue is grid-enhancing technologies to better utilize the existing transmission system". Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eu78djC6

EPRI in the new talking anout the energy demands AI is putting on the energy grid. Great insights David Porter!

Our 2024 Board President, Heather Rivard of Southern California Edison (SCE), explores the transformative potential of AI in enhancing the U.S. power grid amidst rising demands and evolving challenges. As the grid faces increased electricity needs due to a growing data-dependent economy and other factors, AI has emerged as a crucial tool in boosting resilience and efficiency. With peak demand expected to rise significantly and challenges such as severe weather and cyberattacks looming, AI's role in supporting innovative solutions has become even more critical. For a deeper dive into how AI can shape the future of our power infrastructure, read the full article in Public Utilities Fortnightly: https://buff.ly/4dD6r60

CNN recently reported that Google's greenhouse gas emissions have soared 48% since 2019, due largely to the demands #AI systems place on data centers (https://bit.ly/3VULJXu). Artificial intelligence clearly presents some challenges to the energy grid, but it also holds the potential to accelerate the #cleanenergy transition. For an insightful discussion of the potential of AI to enhance grid energy demand optimization, grid reliability and an equitable clean energy transition, check out this thought piece by Nora Wang Esram of The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). https://lnkd.in/eDW7sY7v

The dramatic growth in GenAI and AI adoption is bringing increased demand for energy to power data centers. Where is this heading? How can we navigate a sustainable energy future with exploding technology usage?

🌟 Exciting developments from the Department of Energy! As #AI continues to revolutionize sectors, the DOE is stepping up with actionable plans to make our power grids smarter and more efficient. Their recent initiatives to explore AI possibilities for the grid and make federal permitting more streamlined exemplify how embracing tech can future-proof and sustain our #energy needs. 🚀 🔍 A key highlight is DOE's focus on AI to boost renewable energy forecasts and enhance planning for electric vehicle charging networks—aligning perfectly with the nation's #climatechange goals. Moreover, their caution in managing AI's potential risks showcases a balanced approach to technological adoption. 🌱 🔗 Dive deeper into the initiatives and understand the transformative potential of AI in our energy systems with this comprehensive Axios report: [Link to article] #ArtificialIntelligence #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #TechForGood What are your thoughts on AI's role in building a resilient and efficient energy future? Let's discuss below! ⬇️ [Link to full article or relevant sections]