AI Data Centers Spark a "Power Struggle": US Seeks to Accelerate Grid Connection for Large-Scale Computing Facilities

Odaily Planet Daily News The AI boom has led to a surge in electricity demand from data centers across the United States, causing electricity prices to continue rising in many areas, with some regions even issuing blackout warnings. To alleviate the power supply困境, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the 18th ordered regional grid operators to consider new agreements to speed up the grid connection process for large power consumers like data centers. The commission also stated that it will no longer proactively consider environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act when formulating rules in the future.

According to data from a data center map website, there are currently over 4,000 data centers operating in the U.S., with numerous more in the planning or construction phase. However, the construction speed of these data centers far outpaces the commissioning rate of new power plants. Coupled with the slow progress of grid connections, major tech giants across the country are scrambling to secure electricity quotas for their data centers. Statistics from the Electric Power Research Institute show that data centers currently account for about 5% of total U.S. electricity demand, and this share could rise to approximately 20% by 2035. (CCTV Finance)