The AI build-out has done something the fossil-fuel industry could not do for itself. It has set off the largest-ever construction boom in natural gas-fired power plants, the Associated Press reports.
Aging coal plants are being kept alive past their retirement dates too. Utilities, plant owners, and the federal government have all pushed to postpone the shutdowns.
The reason is unglamorous arithmetic. Some data centres consume more electricity than a mid-size city, and wind and solar cannot be built at that speed.
The states drawing lines
Several states are trying to force the issue through law. A bill on New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk would make large data centres hit renewable benchmarks from 2030, reaching at least 90% renewable energy by 2040.
