Electric avenues: AI data centers spur natural gas, solar; challenge power grids | Local News– www.reflector.com
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EXCERPT:
Artificial intelligence data centers are a power play — literally.
The technical backbone to power AI’s computers and machine learning algorithms need significantly more electricity than existing data centers that have fueled the internet age:
- A server rack in an existing, conventional data center consumes 5 to 10 kilowatts of electricity compared to AI data center racks, which require 40 to 100 kW, according to Hanwha Data Centers.
- A single AI query or prompt uses 10 to 15 times more electricity than a traditional web search.
- A data center uses 10 to 50 times more energy per square foot than a commercial office building.
The need for power is in tandem with the need for speed to market with new data centers. Hyperscalers and developers are projected to spend $7.6 trillion on AI data centers through 2031, according to Goldman Sachs.
That “force of capital” is the AI bus driving the search for consistent electricity flows, said Brandon Michalski, chief economist at MOCA Systems Inc., a Boston-based infrastructure technology firm.
“It’s all about available power,” Michalski said.
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