Rich Miller’s Post

#Datacenter energy use in the U.S. has doubled over the past three years and is expected to grow by another 50%, according to a recent study from the Berkeley Lab. 🔌📈 The 2024 Report to Congress on U.S. Data Center Energy Use assessed how the rapid adoption of #AI and soaring demand has contributed to this growth and impacted the industry's use of electricity. Here's what they found: 🌐Demand will alter the geography of digital infrastructure 🌐Grid constraints are localized and time-sensitive 🌐The industry, and demand, is constantly evolving Researchers also noted the data center industry's opportunity to lead in strategically addressing the growing electricity demand. This is why we advocate for the need for close collaboration between data center developers, utilities and grid operators. Read more from Data Center Frontier here: https://lnkd.in/gc9WutrD

New DOE study: The AI boom is driving localized energy constraints, but the long-term outlook for the grid is promising. Rich Miller of Data Center Frontier explores how the grid can adapt to meet rising energy demands. “Demand for AI will likely alter the geography of digital infrastructure, but isn’t going to gobble up all the power on the electric grid, say government researchers from Lawrence Berkeley Lab (LBNL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). https://lnkd.in/gwpu8Hun #DOE #datacenters #electricity #Grid #AI #infrastructure

DOE Study: AI Boom Breeds Localized Energy Constraints, But Grid Can Meet Long-Term Demand The "2024 Report to Congress on U.S. Data Center Energy Use" is designed to assess how surging interest in AI is impacting the technology industry’s use of electricity.  Preliminary results from the government study show that the surge in AI adoption and soaring AI demand has helped data center energy use in the U.S. double over the past three years, with another 50% growth likely by 2027. Demand for AI will likely alter the geography of digital infrastructure, but isn’t going to gobble up all the power on the electric grid, emphasized government researchers, including Dr. Arman Shehabi from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL - Berkeley Lab), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). DCF's Founder and Editor at Large Rich Miller reports from last week's Data Center World event in Washington, DC. #datacenter #AI #hyperscale #cloud #colocation #grid #sustainability Read on: https://lnkd.in/gc9WutrD

It’s becoming clear the data center industry is likely to struggle to find adequate power in some locations because of transmission constraints. Rich Miller at Data Center Frontier digs into the interplay between the rapid growth of AI-fueled digital infrastructure and the energy sector's work to keep up. The good news: It looks to be a relatively short-term issue. #datacenters #digitalinfrastructure #energy #electricity #transmission #infrastructure

The high energy cost of AI... You hear a lot of talk about being "green" from the left and the silicon valley and California tech world. But you don't see them against AI that uses 10 times more energy than other data centers for traditional search. How about one data center using the equivalent power as 7 MILLION laptop computers. It could take an entire wind farm for one data center. and then they want to add hundreds of millions of electric vehicles to the grid as well. https://lnkd.in/gc8nDwiR

An interesting look at how some believe that bottlenecks in the power grid could threaten artificial intelligence innovation in the U.S. See the article from PYMNTS.   "'If the U.S. only relies on traditional approaches to expand the country's power infrastructure to meet AI infrastructure’s voracious appetite for power, the U.S. will fall behind on its plans to lead in AI globally,' Allan Schurr, PE, chief commercial officer at energy transition company Enchanted Rock, told PYMNTS. 'Delays in adding new transmission and generation capacity, which can range from three to 10-plus years, will force companies to seek out alternative locations to support AI infrastructure.'   "The power grid's limitations threaten U.S. competitiveness beyond just tech firms. With retailers, banks and logistics companies all depending on AI for daily operations, infrastructure bottlenecks could slow economic growth across sectors." #powergeneration #powergrid #criticalinfrastructure #powersupply #GridReliability #AI #datacenter #Power #infrastructure #construction #EconomicGrowth #gridmodernization #PCCA https://lnkd.in/eCyFKRxT

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

#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.

Powering a Productive UK 💡 As we mark National Productivity Week, the spotlight is firmly on how the UK can drive a more productive, sustainable economy in the years ahead. The UK is on the brink of a technological revolution. The government’s ambitious plan to expand AI computing capacity 20-fold by 2030 highlights the transformative potential of emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and machine learning. But there’s a catch: this revolution comes with significant power demands. From data centres requiring up to 10,000 wm2 to the doubling of electricity consumption from AI and data centres by 2026 (IEA, 2024), the need for a strategic approach to energy has never been more urgent. In this blog, we explore how the UK can rise to the challenge: 🌍 Balancing a knowledge-driven economy with sustainability ⚡ Maximizing renewable energy’s contribution 📊 Insights from our survey of UK life sciences companies on the accelerating adoption of AI Read the full blog here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2jsgHXC #Productivity #ProductivityEngine #Technology #AI #Renewables