Think about the last time you experienced a power outage. In addition to being unable to charge your electronics, or use your Wi-Fi connection, you may have also been unable to heat or cool your home, keep your refrigerated food cold, or even take a hot shower. Indeed, power outages are inconvenient! If you’re like many people, you probably don’t think much about your electricity supply until it’s interrupted. But that mindset may soon change. There is growing concern that without major intervention, the United States will soon be unable to meet demand for electricity. That’s right, within just a few decades, demand for electricity in the United States is estimated to be significantly higher that what the grid can supply. If you’re wondering how the United States, a global economic superpower and highly developed nation, could possibly be in this position, you’re not alone.
Demand for electricity has soared in recent years thanks in part to increased demand for data storage driven by advances in AI. In 2022, data centers consumed about 4 percent of the nation’s electricity, a number that is expected to rise to 6 percent by 2026 and continue to rise from there. In addition, climate change is prompting an increase in electricity consumption as drivers move to EVs. Consider your own choices with regard to electricity. Have you, in an effort to cut CO2 and limit global warming, considered driving an electric car? Are you interested in investing in bitcoin, despite the monumental amount of data storage involved? Maybe you live in an area where you keep your air conditioning on for many months out of the year. Or perhaps you like to take long hot showers using water heated in an electric tank. Your choices affect the supply of electric in the United States, a supply that experts warn, will fall far short of demand unless significant changes are made to increase production.
Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss how choices made by consumers are affecting the supply of electricity in the United States. Can, for example, the United States achieve its climate goals, while at the same time meeting demand for electricity in the tech industry?
2. As a consumer of electricity how are the choices you make affecting the choices of other stakeholders?
3. Does government have a role in ensuring citizens have an adequate supply of electricity?
Sources| Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/; EIA: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=56920; NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/electrical-power-grid-at-risk-cold-weather-blackouts-rcna136917; Unsplash: Photo by Alessandro Bianchi on Unsplash