AI Boom Creates Electricity Crunch, Forcing Reliance on Natural Gas over Renewables
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AI has created a huge new demand for electricity that is difficult to meet with renewable energy sources like wind and solar in the short term.
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Executives are worried the energy demands of AI will soon surpass what clean energy sources can provide reliably.
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Natural gas is being turned to as a stopgap since wind, solar, and nuclear can't be scaled up quickly enough to power the AI boom.
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This reliance on fossil fuels like natural gas conflicts with Biden administration goals to decarbonize the power sector.
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Some executives still believe the growth in AI won't prevent economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050, but admit it complicates the transition.