Across the United States, energy is in high demand. Although the US energy production is at an all-time high, it still isn’t enough to match future consumption. The United States will need to innovate and evolve to ensure a truly electric future.
25 years from now, power demand will be 50% higher. This is due to an array of factors. New technology often requires more energy, with electric vehicles and AI driving spikes in energy demand. In fact, each AI server request requires roughly 8 watt hours of energy. This isn’t even considering the cooling costs of global data centers, which also contributes to energy consumption.
There are severe consequences if power demand isn’t met. For one, fuel cannot be pumped on demand, which can impact public and private transportation alike. Communication networks could fail, making it hard to access information and contact loved ones. Additionally, supply chains can stall, leaving Americans without easy access to food and medicine.
In order to keep pace with energy demand, the United States will need to consider alternative energy sources. The government is paying particular attention to nuclear energy, with plans to quadruple nuclear energy production by 2050.
As the demand for power increases, the United States will need to act quickly. Improving infrastructure and exploring new energy sources will be vital in the increasingly-electric future.
Source: ELSCO