Buy Electrons Before Bytes: A Practical Plan to Power the AI Boom
2 hours ago Guest Blogger
By Theodor Engøy
The AI surge is exposing an old truth: electricity is the master resource. Data‑center power demand is projected to more than double globally by 2030. In the United States, the interconnection queue is now so large that both new generation and large loads face multi‑year delays. Unless utilities, grid operators, and hyperscalers strike the right deals, AI capacity will keep outrunning electrons—and public patience.
Start with a simple rule: buy electrons before bytes. Match each gigawatt of new data‑center load to contracted, firm low‑carbon generation (nuclear, hydro, geothermal, gas with CCS where credible) plus storage and specific transmission upgrades. Put these commitments in public, milestone‑based contracts. If the power doesn’t show up on schedule, the load waits. Negotiate water honestly: avoid evaporative cooling in arid regions; everywhere, publish water‑use metrics and site accordingly.
Cities can turn “waste” into an asset. Data‑center heat is already warming homes at scale in Finland, where Fortum and Microsoft are connecting new facilities into the Helsinki‑region district‑heating network.
The hardware is straightforward—industrial heat pumps and large‑diameter pipes. The hard part is governance: contracts, tariffs, and interconnection timelines that align incentives across utilities, municipalities, and cloud buyers.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/10/08/buy-electrons-before-bytes-a-practical-plan-to-power-the-ai-boom/
