U.S. Department of Energy: U.S. Grid Faces Urgent Reliability Challenges Amid AI-Driven Load Growth and Plant Retirements
A new report by the U.S. Department of Energy provides a comprehensive assessment of the adequacy and reliability of the U.S. electric grid and warns that without urgent reforms and investment, the U.S. electric grid will be unable to support the nation’s economic ambitions, particularly in artificial intelligence (“AI”) and digital infrastructure. The report responds to recent executive orders emphasizing the need for a uniform, data-driven approach to evaluating grid reliability, particularly in the face of accelerating power plant retirements and surging electricity demand from data centers and AI applications.
Proactive Risk Management in the Face of Opposition to Data Centers and Crypto Mining
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cryptocurrency continues to drive unprecedented U.S. demand for energy. This acceleration is encountering an increasingly organized wave of opposition, particularly to the siting of electric generation assets required to operate data centers and crypto mining facilities. A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), A Pollution Footprint the Size of Texas, sharply criticizes the permitting of new natural gas power plants in Texas — many of which are being built for proposed to power data centers and crypto mines.
