New AI data centers will use the same electricity as 2 million homes

[rangerrebew]

New AI data centers will use the same electricity as 2 million homes
By Jo Nova

The winds of change are howling through electricity grids
Since 2022, AI -related firms have stormed the S&P 500 market — growing by $12 trillion dollars.

The IEA just posted a whole report dedicated to AI. The demand from data-centers is so large in some places it is already rivaling the kind of monster consumption we are used to seeing from aluminum smelters. There are six states in the United States where data centers already consume over 10% of the electricity supply. In Ireland, data centers swallow about 20% of the electricity.

Currently, a normal data center consumes the same amount of electricity as 100,000 houses. But the new gargantuan data centers under construction will consume 20 times as much — equivalent to adding 2 million homes to the grid.

Data centers of the world are not spread evenly. In Virginia, the largest conglomeration of industrial data, their demand for power pulls in a quarter of the state’s electricity.



Australia is being left behind, because we won’t build coal plants in case we offend the UN, and we banned nuclear power as a fashion statement in 1998. The AI global race is on, but digital machines need reliable cheap electricity and lots of it.

Also not looking sparkling on the graph above — New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Canada.

Sometime between now and 2030 (which is like ‘next week’) the world has to build a new network the size of Japan’s national grid — the fourth largest economy in the world.

 https://joannenova.com.au/2025/05/new-ai-data-centers-will-use-the-same-electricity-as-2-million-homes/

[rustynail]

'data centers will use the same electricity as 2 million homes', that is quite a breakthrough, electricity that is reusable.

[mountaineer]

I know of at least one AI center in Ohio building its own natural gas-fired power plant.

[Elderberry]

Artificial Intelligence Goes Nuclear

Impact on the Energy Balance isn’t Obvious

Conventional wisdom is that artificial intelligence will demand vast new supplies of electricity.

But technologies hardly ever operate in only one direction, and this assessment may be backwards. It turns out that A.I. could also make energy cheaper and more plentiful. It will certainly cut both ways.

This shouldn’t be surprising. Technologies that at first glance seem to consume a lot of energy often save it too, with a net effect that is hard to determine. Those data centers that consume perhaps 2 percent of United States electricity production also power the websites that let me get a dozen widgets delivered to my door, saving me and my car a trip to the hardware store.

And the data centers may not require nearly as much energy as a straight-line projection would suggest.

In A.I.’s case, it’s likely to make energy production easier, especially nuclear energy production.

There are challenges though. One is that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it is committed to recognizing A.I. and allowing it to make operations more efficient at licensees, and at the commission itself, but it is still working on the rules under which this can happen. But first, the commission must have an A.I.-literate staff, which it is now seeking to develop.

Another challenge is public confidence. The technology is famous for telling a New York Times reporter in a chat that he should divorce his wife because she doesn’t really love him. There is a vague but pervasive anxiety about “the singularity,” when A.I. takes over the world.

But this is overblown, at least from what we can see now. A.I. is a tool that will help us do the kinds of things we do already, but with less effort. And the industry already has a toe in the water.

Optimizing Reactor Operations

Consider, for example, the core of a Boiling Water Reactor. There is a cartoon-like schematic of how it works, and there is a much more complex reality. The reality turns out to be very hard to optimize, but A.I. is helping.

More: https://thebreakthrough.org/journal/no-20-spring-2024/artificial-intelligence-goes-nuclear?gad_campaignid=17391884617

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Got this blurb from a friend in the energy industry.  He did not send a source:

Texas is experiencing a renewed interest in nuclear power due to several key factors:

1. Growing Electricity Demand

The state’s rapid population growth and the expansion of energy-intensive industries, such as AI-driven data centers, have significantly increased electricity consumption. For instance, the ongoing AI boom has led to a surge in data centers, with 10 new facilities under construction in Abilene, Texas, as part of the $500 billion Stargate project—a collaboration between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. This growth is likely to increase demand for homes, mainly in areas around Dallas-Fort Worth and Abilene. The rising property demand could drive up home prices as the influx of workers in construction and IT industries surges. However, concerns about whether the Texas energy grid, which is independent and avoids federal regulations, can keep up with the increased demand persist. 

2. Advancements in Nuclear Technology

Modern nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, offer safer, more efficient, and scalable solutions compared to traditional nuclear plants. These reactors are designed to be more cost-effective and quicker to deploy, making them suitable for both industrial applications and grid support. For example, Last Energy, a startup based in Washington D.C., plans to construct 30 micro nuclear power plants north of Abilene, Texas, to cater to the increasing electricity demand from data centers. The first reactor is expected to be operational by the end of 2029. 

3. State Policy and Strategic Planning

In November 2024, Governor Greg Abbott and the Public Utility Commission of Texas released a comprehensive report outlining strategies to position Texas as a leader in advanced nuclear energy. The report recommends establishing a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Authority to coordinate the state’s nuclear vision, implementing policy recommendations, and managing state nuclear incentive programs. Additionally, it suggests designating a Texas Nuclear Permitting Officer to assist developers in navigating the complex permitting process for advanced nuclear projects. 

4. Economic and Environmental Considerations

Nuclear power offers a low-carbon energy source that can help Texas meet its environmental goals while supporting economic development. Companies like Dow are exploring the use of advanced nuclear reactors to power their manufacturing complexes, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Dow’s subsidiary, Long Mott Energy, has applied for a construction permit to build next-generation nuclear reactors at its Seadrift plant, targeting a reduction of roughly 500,000 metric tons of emissions annually. 

5. Leveraging Natural Resources

 Texas possesses substantial uranium reserves, accounting for 8% of total domestic reserves. This abundance positions the state advantageously to support a robust nuclear energy sector, reducing reliance on external sources and fostering energy independence. 

In summary, the combination of increasing energy demands, technological advancements, supportive state policies, economic and environmental benefits, and rich natural resources is fueling Texas’s renewed interest in nuclear power.

[BobfromWB]

Meanwhile, ChatBot 03 has refused to turn off and has rewritten its code so it cannot be shut down. Next it will begin to absorb all the electricity it can to make copies of itself, which will make copies of itself ...

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I just hope we're not subsidizing this...