Posted 1/31/2024, 10:20:00 AM
Morgan Stanley: AI's Soaring Energy Use May Rival Spain's by 2027, But Its Climate Potential Outweighs Impact
- Morgan Stanley report predicts AI sector's electricity use will grow 70% yearly to 224 TWh by 2027, rivaling Spain's 2022 national power consumption
- Report argues AI's emissions mitigation potential via efficiency, carbon capture, etc outstrips its own emissions
- Rapid AI growth requires major renewable energy capacity expansion; could heighten competition with other sectors
- Existing grids struggling to meet demand already, with some limited by AI computing power needs
- Microsoft exploring small nuclear reactors to power data centers to meet net zero commitment