Data center energy demand forecasted to soar nearly 300% through 2035
New planned data centers promise to consume even more energy than expected. Meanwhile, a grid monitor is blaming such growth for high electricity prices.
Energy
UN climate negotiations burned up and then fizzled out
“It’s a wrap … Don’t forget to buy an ‘i survived Belém’ shirt,” reads the opening line of an email I got Saturday, the final day of highly anticipated United Nations climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil. The email was sent from Shravya Jain-Conti, the US climate diplomacy lead at the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), […]
The new silicon valley (literally)
Arizona’s economy was once dominated by the “five C’s”: cotton, cattle, citrus, copper, and climate. But a new C has emerged that could grow to overshadow the rest: chips. New semiconductor manufacturing facilities are springing up across the greater Phoenix area, stretching across blocks of new roads with names like “Processor Parkway” and “Transistor Terrace.” […]
Energy and tech news at UN climate negotiations in Brazil
The most high-stakes United Nations climate change conference in years is taking place this November in Belém, Brazil. It’s the 10th anniversary of the landmark Paris agreement, which committed nearly every country on Earth to working together to limit global warming. They’re off track, making this an important moment to show the world whether world […]
UN climate talks are getting weird
One of the most consequential rounds of global climate negotiations has kicked off in Belém, Brazil. Leaders from nearly every country in the world – but notably, not the US – are gathering to try to ramp up action on climate change during a time of tremendous transformation when it comes to both energy systems […]
Soaring electricity rates fueled Democratic victories — now comes the hard part
While there’s plenty for voters to be worried about right now, rising utility bills have become a hot-button issue. The success of Democrats in New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia in this week’s elections can be seen as something of a referendum on the state of energy policy and infrastructure in the US as power grids […]
How deep-sea mining could threaten a vital ocean food source
The race to mine battery minerals from the ocean floor would create a new stream of waste that could rob sea life of a critical food source, according to new research published today in the journal Nature Communications. That could have far-reaching effects across the ocean, potentially reaching larger fish like tuna that people depend […]
Google has a ‘moonshot’ plan for AI data centers in space
Google has dreamed up a potential new way to get around resource constraints for energy-hungry AI data centers on Earth — launching its AI chips into space on solar-powered satellites. It’s a ‘moonshot’ research project Google announced today called Project Suncatcher. If it can ever get off the ground, the project would essentially create space-based […]
Rising energy prices put AI and data centers in the crosshairs
A majority of consumers say they’re worried about data centers driving up electricity costs. Is the industry prepared for a possible backlash?
Another shuttered nuclear power plant is getting new life, thanks to Big Tech
Google announced plans to revive a nuclear power plant that shut down in 2020, as it looks to secure enough electricity for its AI data centers. The company announced a 25-year agreement with NextEra Energy to eventually purchase electricity from the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a 615MW nuclear plant in Iowa, when it starts operating […]