Power & Communication Contractors Association’s Post

Exciting advancements in AI and quantum computing are on the horizon, but are we ready for the energy surge they'll bring? The National Grid predicts a six-fold increase in data centre energy consumption over the next decade to power these innovations. CEO John Pettigrew emphasizes the need for proactive grid upgrades to sustainably meet this demand. As we aim for net zero emissions by 2050, it's crucial to address the environmental impact of technology growth. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e_he_GWN #AI #QuantumComputing #Sustainability #Innovation

This insightful article from PYMNTS examines NVIDIA's recent warning that the lagging US grid infrastructure is jeopardizing the country’s competitive edge in #AI growth. The article looks deeper into the dynamics behind Nvidia’s stance and the risk that slow grid modernization could push AI investment overseas. But a solution exists. Allan Schurr, PE explains that sufficient baseload power is there for #datacenters, and flexible energy strategies like natural gas #microgrids are critical for peak demand periods. Give it a read and learn how innovative approaches are needed to ensure the US remains a leader as the global AI race heats up. https://bit.ly/49abtW4 #datacenterflexibility #cleanenergy #powergeneration #generators

#Datacentre power use 'to surge six-fold in 10 years' The boom in #artificialintelligence (#AI) and #quantum #computing will drive a spike in energy use, the National Grid has predicted. Both rely on data centres - warehouses full of computer systems. Chief executive John Pettigrew said the #power those data centres use would increase six-fold in the next decade. He said the grid was becoming "#constrained" and "bold action" was needed to create a #network able to cope with "dramatically" #growing demand. "Future #growth in foundational #technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing will mean #largerscale, #energyintensive computing #infrastructure," Mr Pettigrew said. The National Grid boss said in a speech on Tuesday, shared on LinkedIn, that now was "a pivotal moment" for grid transformation - with rising demand for energy-hungry technologies and more people opting for #heatpumps or #electriccars. "Today, just like in the 1950s, we find ourselves with a network that's constrained," he said. "Demand on the grid is growing dramatically, and forecast to double by 2050 as heat, transport and industry continue to electrify." The #highvoltage #transmission network of cables and pylons that make up the UK's "#supergrid" is now more than 70 years old. To achieve #netzero emissions by 2050 in line with global targets, grid operators are under pressure to deliver upgrades to current infrastructure that can meet higher consumer demand for #electricity in future and do so sustainably by connecting to #renewable energy sources. We are at "a moment in time that requires innovative thinking and bold actions to create a transmission network for tomorrow's #future," Mr Pettigrew said.

Research group Dgtl Infra has estimated that global data centre capital expenditure will surpass $225bn in 2024. Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang said this year that $1tn worth of data centres would need to be built in the next several years to support generative AI, which is power intensive and involves the processing of enormous volumes of information. Such growth would require huge amounts of electricity, even if systems become more efficient. According to the International Energy Agency, the electricity consumed by data centres globally will more than double by 2026 to more than 1,000 terawatt hours, an amount roughly equivalent to what Japan consumes annually. Are we not going too far? Can humanity survive this burden? Or put it simply, do we need all these?

I'll say it again....Access to #Electricity will be one of the most pressing constraints for #AI Innovation - Organizations need to be looking to optimize the overall #electricitydraw for their existing infrastructure and modeling the potential draw of their strategic projects at-scale. Pure Storage is maniacally focused on this issue with our current 80% #powerefficiency vs. traditional storage and our commitment to drive further #density and #poweroptimization over the next several years. “One of the limitations of deploying [chips] in the new AI economy is going to be ... where do we build the data centers and how do we get the power,” said Daniel Golding, chief technology officer at Appleby Strategy Group and a former data center executive at Google. “At some point the reality of the [electricity] grid is going to get in the way of AI.” https://lnkd.in/d2n_69du

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s recent $2.2 billion investment to enhance the nation’s electrical grid represents a significant step forward in addressing the escalating demands brought on by the rapid growth of AI-driven workloads. As AI continues to scale, the computational intensity required to support these advanced systems is pushing our existing infrastructure to its limits. This investment is not just about keeping pace with demand; it’s about future-proofing our grid to ensure it can handle the high-density, high-capacity requirements that AI demands.    What’s particularly promising is the collaborative nature of these projects, with partnerships across federal, state, and private sectors. This model of cooperation could serve as a blueprint for future infrastructure projects, ensuring that we continue to meet our energy needs in a way that’s both sustainable and reliable. This is the promise of American innovation—coming together to build a future-ready infrastructure that supports growth and resilience.   As these investments continue, it’s essential that we stay focused on the broader impact—enhancing grid resilience while also catalyzing economic growth and job creation. This is a positive step forward for the data center industry.   Jennifer Granholm #DepartmentofEnergy #DOE #ElectricalGrid #DataCenters #AI #BipartisanInfrastructure #FutureReady #Growth

A new way of building AI data centers is flexible computing, where the key idea is to compute more when electricity is cheaper, more available and greener, and less when it’s more expensive, scarce and polluting. http://f-st.co/Nzdr63b

Technological innovations such as AI are requiring more and more data storage and power generation. I recently talked with Pittsburgh Business Times’ journalist Paul Gough about the opportunities for Pennsylvania’s abundant supply of natural gas to help support the growing demand for affordable, reliable energy to power AI and data centers. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3VlSbaj

This week I had the privilege of representing the electric sector at the White House to discuss how we can meet the energy demands of AI’s exponential growth. The discussion brought together key AI leaders like Jensen Huang (Nvidia) and Sam Altman (OpenAI); executives from hyperscalers including Microsoft, Google, Meta, and AWS; public sector leaders such as Secretary Granholm, Secretary Raimondo, Lael Brainard, John Podesta, and Jake Sullivan; and energy leaders like myself, Arshad Mansoor (EPRI), and Calvin Butler (Exelon). This meeting underscored the importance of energy infrastructure as a foundation for U.S. leadership in AI. Renewable energy, battery energy storage, and innovations like Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) are essential to meet the energy demands of AI-driven data centers—on time and sustainably. As Jensen Huang aptly remarked, "this industry is going to be producing intelligence, and what it takes is energy." https://lnkd.in/erK728Dx

Data centers are an energy efficiency story, but Brian Janous, co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure and former VP of energy at Microsoft, believes the AI arms race will be different. A year ago, access to chips was the biggest concern for tech companies scaling AI. Now — as Janous, Michelle Solomon of Energy Innovation Policy and Technology LLC, and John Belizaire of Soluna elucidated at a recent Transition-AI event with Stephen Lacey — it’s getting enough clean power. Can utilities meet the surge without falling back on gas power? https://lnkd.in/gvdiVMXd