How the surging demand for energy and rise of AI is straining the power grid in the U.S. [Video]

The surging demand for energy in the U.S. is growing significantly for the first time in decades. Experts say it is forecast to hit record highs both this year and next year — creating more planet-warming emissions.

Part of the demand is due to an increasing number of data centers across the country, along with the rise of artificial intelligence.

The nation’s roughly 2,700 data centers are mostly run by big tech firms like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Apple, and consumed more than 4% of all electricity in the U.S. in 2022. It’s projected to more than double to 9% by 2030, according to the Electric Power Research Institute, a research organization and nonprofit focused on energy. It is not affiliated with any companies or type of technology.

But it’s already taxing the U.S.’ aging power grid, and the demands of AI are just beginning to grow. A ChatGPT query, for example, uses nearly 10 times the …