I don't know what exactly "invest in the grid" means in this context (and whether it is even a tenable proposition given that everything grid-related is highly regulated and subject to approvals processes) and I'm not sure this will help them the immediate problem that they have in a timely fashion, i.e. lack of energy to do what they need to do. I think it's a fantasy.
This is a reminder that how we power technology matters just as much as the technology itself. Data centers are growing rapidly, but relying on inefficient fossil fuel generators could make their climate impact even worse. We need smarter infrastructure and cleaner energy to make that growth truly sustainable.
Thank you for this and all the articles you write. For someone like me who works in the clean energy/decarb space, basing my day-to-day work on accurate information like you provide (and think to provide to people like us) is so helpful...
Thank you for sounding the methane alarm Zack! This is a good share to stop the emitters before they keep building more of the fly-by-night gas plants. But, Trump INVITES greenhouse gas emissions. What the hell happened to America???
Good post. At the same time, the case for data centers to invest in the grid instead of doing their own generation has been clear even without the climate context, as Michael Liebreich explained on Sustain What https://revkin.substack.com/p/michael-liebreich-on-how-ai-giants?utm_source=publication-search
I don't know what exactly "invest in the grid" means in this context (and whether it is even a tenable proposition given that everything grid-related is highly regulated and subject to approvals processes) and I'm not sure this will help them the immediate problem that they have in a timely fashion, i.e. lack of energy to do what they need to do. I think it's a fantasy.
This is a reminder that how we power technology matters just as much as the technology itself. Data centers are growing rapidly, but relying on inefficient fossil fuel generators could make their climate impact even worse. We need smarter infrastructure and cleaner energy to make that growth truly sustainable.
I'd agree it's a real problem if someone could quantify the impact on GW.
An eye-opening publ. Tx a lot!
Thank you for this and all the articles you write. For someone like me who works in the clean energy/decarb space, basing my day-to-day work on accurate information like you provide (and think to provide to people like us) is so helpful...
Thank you for sounding the methane alarm Zack! This is a good share to stop the emitters before they keep building more of the fly-by-night gas plants. But, Trump INVITES greenhouse gas emissions. What the hell happened to America???
Whoops, Zeke. Can't edit my comment on this Android and am too lazy to write it up again. Can'tveven copy/paste into/from a buffer.