The stats are clear. The electric grid is over 100 years old and already feeling the strain – reshored manufacturing, transport electrification and heat pumps are a few capabilities demanding more from the grid. Against this backdrop, the most powerful and promising technology in a generation – artificial intelligence (AI) – has emerged, demanding more power still.

Current figures estimate that electric demand for the data centers supporting AI is about 4% of US electric consumption, which is expected to double by the end of the decade. The scenario is similar the world over, which suggests to some that we’re heading to a cliff edge. However, that may not be the case.

Read more in a World Economic Forum blog post from Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer, on how adopting a “power-positive” approach, data centers can contribute to community-wide energy efficiency improvements. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/09/how-power-positive-data-centres-can-unlock-ai-s-potential-while-transforming-communities/