Behind every AI query, image generation, and model training session lies a massive consumption of electricity. A single request to a large AI model can use ten times more power than a traditional Google search. Training a model like GPT-4 consumed enough energy to power thousands of homes for a year. Analysts at Goldman Sachs warn that AI data centers alone could account for 9% of U.S. electricity demand by 2030, up from about 3% today.
This demand has collided with a parallel crisis: the skyrocketing cost of natural gas, which has made new gas-fired power plants three times more expensive to build than just a few years ago. The result is a fundamental economic shift. In 2024-2025, over 90% of new U.S. electricity capacity came from renewables and battery storage, simply because solar and wind are now the cheapest new sources of power. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are signing colossal deals for renewable energy and investing in next-gen nuclear fission and fusion projects. The AI revolution is, paradoxically, catalyzing the green energy transition out of sheer necessity.
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