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The Five Convergences (Part II of VI): AI as Load-How AI Is Rewiring the Grid
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Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a software challenge. It’s a physical one. In this episode, we explore a convergence most haven’t seen coming—until now.
Across the U.S., AI training and inference are triggering a historic surge in electricity demand, rivaling the rise of air conditioning in the 20th century. By 2030, AI data centers could consume over 9% of total U.S. electricity—an increase of 400–500 terawatt-hours. That’s like plugging in an extra California.
But AI doesn’t just use power. It reshapes it.
AI campuses run 24/7, don’t follow human behavior, and concentrate demand in tight geographies. The result? New “load islands,” rising grid congestion, regional imbalances, and a multi-billion-dollar race to rewire the energy system.
Brandon N. Owens—author of The Five Convergences and Artificial Intelligence and U.S. Electricity Demand: Trends and Outlook to 2040—break down what utilities, regulators, investors, and tech companies must understand about Convergence I: AI as Load.
🔌 Highlights from this Episode:
- Where AI demand is hitting hardest: From Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” to crypto-fueled megawatt spikes in Texas.
- Why traditional grid planning is failing: IRPs are outdated, interconnection queues are jammed, and speculative siting is distorting the market.
- What clean energy advocates need to know: AI could undermine decarbonization—or accelerate it—depending on how we act now.
- How the electricity system is being gamed: Developers are squatting on transmission rights, driving up costs and delaying critical infrastructure.
- What leading utilities are doing: Dominion is charging for reserved capacity. ERCOT is scrambling to keep up. The DOE and FERC are playing catch-up.
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- Energy pricing and load growth forecasts
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