The International Energy Agency has reported a significant projected increase in global electricity demand, driven primarily by data centers, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence. This surge is expected to more than double in the next three years, potentially adding an amount equivalent to the entire power needs of Germany. Crypto energy use is expected to increase over 30% by 2026, with AI energy use increasing even more. Concerns are rising about whether the current electricity supply can meet the demands of new AI-focused data centers scheduled to come online later this year. Tech firms, including NextEra Energy, are increasingly seeking to connect these data centers to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar farms. The rapid expansion in electricity consumption by AI poses a potential threat to electricity grids, with some experts warning that electric utilities and regulators have been unprepared for this substantial increase in demand.
"Electric utilities and regulators have been caught off guard by the biggest jump in demand in a generation. One of the things they didn’t properly plan for is AI" https://t.co/M7aYEE7S4r
📣 Latest News: Crypto energy use to increase over 30% by 2026, AI by even more #news #cryptonews #crypto
Soaring power demand from AI and crypto pose threat to electricty grids- our latest @ft Energy Source newsletter https://t.co/H0rOoX93Mp via @amandalanchu
The amount of electricity sucked up by AI is expanding rapidly, with high stakes for tech firms desperate to hook up new data centers to power produced by wind and solar farms, according to NextEra Energy https://t.co/REdxi0YUQf
Concern rises over whether there’s enough electricity for all the new AI-focused data centers that are due to come online later this year. https://t.co/jDgsMarAzA AI Agenda by @anissagardizy8
Only @anissagardizy8 could make data centers this sexy... in this morning's AI Agenda, learn why power will be the next bottleneck in AI development. https://t.co/9IwWGD1hXH
Soaring power demand from AI and crypto pose threat to grid - FT https://t.co/ONibsHa3PN
Report: AI, crypto drive spike in data-center energy demands https://t.co/YXWeE5mwnL
AI and crypto mining are driving up data centers’ energy use https://t.co/F3ejRumcDo
Global electricity demand from data centers, cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence could more than double over the next three years, adding the equivalent of Germany’s entire power needs, the International Energy Agency says https://t.co/8GDlBbm5NW via @EamonFarhat https://t.co/MnDYqs9uCN