I’m not trying to say we need to responsible with energy use. But this problem is not a tech problem its a political problem, we have figured out green energy for decades at this point but have failed to transition to it. That problem is not cause green tech doesn’t work, its political.
(I’m using green energy to mean energy production that doesn’t create any pollution, unlike the great renewable corn ethanol)
Scientists have estimated that the power requirements of data centers in North America increased from 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023, partly driven by the demands of generative AI
5341 Megawatt = 5.341 Gigawatt
so a 2.6 GW increase, jeez that’s a fair amount
The US set a record by adding 50 GW of new solar capacity in 2024, with solar and storage making up 84% of new capacity.
Maybe you should learn about where electricity comes from, when the demand is too much for the standard power grid to fulfill?
https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117
I’m not trying to say we need to responsible with energy use. But this problem is not a tech problem its a political problem, we have figured out green energy for decades at this point but have failed to transition to it. That problem is not cause green tech doesn’t work, its political.
(I’m using green energy to mean energy production that doesn’t create any pollution, unlike the great renewable corn ethanol)
5341 Megawatt = 5.341 Gigawatt
so a 2.6 GW increase, jeez that’s a fair amount
https://www.irena.org/News/articles/2025/Apr/Renewables-in-2024-5-Key-Facts-Behind-a-Record-Breaking-Year