Demand for energy is surging across the United States, but the current electrical grid is struggling to keep up. As energy needs increase, the United States will need to develop more efficient methods to produce and distribute energy.
In 25 years, power demand will have decreased by 50%. Several variables drive this change. For example, as more Americans purchase electric vehicles, more energy is required to power those cars. In fact, rapidly adopting electric vehicles could add an extra 100 - 185 terawatt hours to the electricity demand in 2030.
AI is another leading cause of increased energy demand. One AI server uses around 8 watt hours of energy, which is the equivalent of an LED lightbulb. Across the country, AI is becoming more common and accessible; in fact, NVIDIA will ship 1.5 million AI server units annually by 2027.
This boom in energy usage has troubling implications if energy production can’t keep up. Without power, fuel can’t get pumped on demand, communication networks may be shut down and banking systems would be disrupted.
Unfortunately, the United States has an aging power grid, leading to inefficiency. In fact, between 2018 and 2022, 5% of electricity transmitted and distributed in the United States was lost annually.
In order to meet growing energy demands, the United States will need to improve its infrastructure. Key strategies moving forward include speeding up interconnection queues, improving lead times and quality for necessary infrastructure equipment and exploring alternative power sources.
In the coming years, the United States will need to evolve in step with its population’s energy demands. Updating aging infrastructure and searching for innovative solutions will be key in the increasingly electric future.
Source: ELSCO
