The future of the United States is electric, however, it is not easy to match the projected demand for power. Although US energy production is currently at its highest in history, in the next 25 years, the power demand will be 50% higher. The most influential sectors, such as transportation, industrial, residential and commercial are using thousands of terawatt hours, driving the age of electricity forward.
The rise of AI has also changed the power demand landscape. Each query requires the same amount of energy as an LED lightbulb, and over 10x as much energy as a regular search query. Data centers and cooling mechanisms are also significant energy users, adding to future costs and needs for power across the board.
Without power, necessary operations such as communication, fuel, supply chains and financial services will begin to slow or come to a halt. These disruptions are heightened with the United States’ aging power grid, much of which is 40-70 years old. It will be costly and timely to replace these components, due to the sheer size of the system and long lead times. In order to improve this, experts are suggesting exploring new power sources such as nuclear energy, or working with US-based suppliers to eliminate lead time. This will allow for better infrastructure and a brighter future for all.
Source: ELSCO