Overview
- More than 230 environmental groups called for a national pause on new U.S. data centers, citing higher utility bills, water use and emissions, and pointing to at least 16 projects worth about $64 billion that have been blocked or delayed.
- Utilities and tech firms are locking in 24/7 supply, including Constellation’s deal with Microsoft supporting a Three Mile Island restart and NextEra’s partnership with Alphabet to revive Iowa’s Duane Arnold reactor by 2029.
- Analysts expect data-center electricity demand to climb roughly 160% by 2030, with the International Energy Agency estimating total use could rival Japan’s current consumption.
- Goldman Sachs projects natural gas will provide about 60% of near-term AI-related power growth, as companies such as Chevron pursue gas-fired solutions and advocates urge siting near the Texas Gulf Coast and Shale Crescent supply hubs.
- Rising power costs have become a bipartisan flashpoint in recent New Jersey, Georgia and Virginia races, while some experts warn U.S. AI competitiveness could falter if reliable power capacity lags China’s larger output.