By 2030, US Electric Vehicle and Data Center Power Demand Will Rival Turkey's
Executives of major U.S. power companies expressed concerns that failing to increase power generation amid a surge in electricity demand could negatively impact the national economy and security.
On the 30th (local time), CNBC reported that the simultaneous expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and electric vehicles, along with the U.S.'s active response to climate change, will cause a surge in previously stagnant electricity demand.
According to Rystad Energy, just the construction of data centers to support AI and the adoption of electric vehicles in the technology sector are expected to increase electricity demand by 290 terawatt-hours by the late 2020s. This capacity is equivalent to the entire electricity demand of T?rkiye, the world's 18th largest economy.
Peter Schanche, Vice President of Infrastructure Development at NextEra Energy Resources, said that major big tech companies such as Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta are urgently requesting more power. He added, "If we cannot supply power capacity, data centers cannot operate. Some of the largest companies in the U.S. cannot grow their core businesses," and emphasized, "This is a new environment. We need to fix this immediately." John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra, stated that U.S. electricity demand will increase by 38% over the next 20 years.
CNBC also reported that Southern Company, the second-largest utility company in the U.S. by market capitalization, is experiencing a surge in electricity demand. Chris Womack, CEO of Southern Company, expects demand to increase three to four times in the future, saying, "Much of this depends on what data centers consume, including AI and all large-scale learning models." He also said, "Energy security brings national security and supports economic security," adding, "To ensure the economy continues to grow and prosper, the energy sector must be properly secured."
Robert Blue, CEO of Dominion Energy, stated that everything in the U.S. is being powered by electricity, transitioning to data, and simultaneously shifting to clean energy. He said, "As everything becomes electrified, people increasingly rely on the power grid," and emphasized, "We must maintain security against physical and cyber threats."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
