The artificial intelligence boom has significantly impacted big tech companies, leading to a surge in their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

The success of large language models like ChatGPT has driven this increased energy demand.

According to the Electric Power Research Institute, AI queries require about 10 times the electricity of traditional Google searches, with ChatGPT requests consuming 2.9 watt-hours each.

Emerging AI capabilities, such as audio and video generation, are expected to further increase this demand.

As a result, energy companies are considering previously untenable options, such as restarting a nuclear reactor at the dormant Three Mile Island power plant.

While data centers have grown continuously for decades, the rise of large language models has led to exceptional growth, requiring more computational and storage resources than before.

This surge in AI-driven demand is straining electrical grids, which are often near capacity or face stability challenges, Study Finds has reported.

A recent report from the Electric Power Research Institute highlights that 15 states contain 80% of the data centers in the U.S., with Virginia’s Data Center Alley consuming over 25% of the state’s electricity.

Similar trends are observed globally, with Ireland becoming a hub for data centers.

Written by B.C. Begley