Is America running out of electrical power?
The nation's power grid appears to be reaching critical levels due to emerging technologies
The advancement of new technologies appears to have given rise to a new problem across the United States: a crippling power shortage on the horizon. The advent of these technologies, such as eco-friendly factories and data centers, has renewed concerns that America could run out of electrical power.
These worries also come at a time when the United States' aging power grid is in desperate need of repair. Heavily publicized incidents such as the 2021 Texas power outage, which was partially blamed on crypto-farming, exposed how vulnerable the nation's power supply is, especially during emergencies. There have also been warnings from tech moguls such as Elon Musk, who has stated that the United States is primed to run out of electricity and transformers for artificial intelligence in 2025.
But the push to extend the life of the nation's power grid, while also maintaining eco-friendly sustainability, begs the question: Is the United States really at risk of going dark?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What did the commentators say?
The emergence of new technologies means demand is soaring for power across the country; in Georgia, "demand for industrial power is surging to record highs, with the projection of electricity use for the next decade now 17 times what it was only recently," Evan Halper said for The Washington Post. Northern Virginia "needs the equivalent of several large nuclear power plants to serve all [its] new data centers," Halper said, while Texas faces a similar problem.
This demand is resulting in a "scramble to try to squeeze more juice out of an aging power grid." At the same time, companies are "pushing commercial customers to go to extraordinary lengths to lock down energy sources, such as building their own power plants," Halper said.
Much of this relates to the "rapid innovation in artificial intelligence, which is driving the construction of large warehouses of computing infrastructure," Halper said. This infrastructure requires significantly more power than traditional data centers, with the aforementioned crypto farms also sucking up massive amounts of power.
Climate change is also hurting sustainability efforts. A recent report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation estimated that more than 300 million people in the U.S. and Canada could face power shortages in 2024. It also found that electricity demand is rising faster now than at any time in the past five years. This is partially because the "push for the electrification of heating and transportation systems — including electric cars — is also creating new winter peaks in electricity demand," Jeremy Hsu said for New Scientist.
One of the main issues with these sustainability efforts is the push to move away from fossil fuels toward renewable power. Natural gas is often seen as a bridge between fossils and renewables, but this has also had unintended consequences for the power grid. The system delivering natural gas "doesn't have to meet the same reliability standards as the electric grid, and in many cases, there’s no real way to guarantee that fuel is available for the gas plants in the winter," Thomas Rutigliano of the Natural Resources Defense Council said to New Scientist.
As a result, the "North American electricity supply has become practically inseparable from the natural gas supply chain," John Moura of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said to New Scientist. As such, a "reliable electricity supply that lowers the risk of power outages depends on implementing reliability standards for the natural gas industry moving forward," but this may be easier said than done.
What next?
When it comes to the year-round power efforts, there have been some positive signs. In 2023, the American power grid "quietly survived its most brutal summer yet," Vox said, and "despite record power demand, the grid largely avoided blackouts." This fact is "even more remarkable" when considering that "July 2023 was the hottest month on the planet since at least 1880," Vox said. However, this doesn't mean that summer blackouts in subsequent years are not on the way.
And the winter months are still telling a different story, as the problems with the power grid will likely continue as technology keeps advancing. Climate change will also continue to play a factor in crippling the power supply; Last month, at least 800,000 people in California were without power after severe flooding, winds and mudslides devastated the region, a climate trend that doesn't appear to be going away.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
'Horror stories of women having to carry nonviable fetuses'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Haiti interim council, prime minister sworn in
Speed Read Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns amid surging gang violence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 26, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - teleprompter troubles, presidential immunity, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Pros and cons of solar energy
Pros and cons Solar power could become the primary source of electricity worldwide by 2050 – but there are still clouds in the forecast
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Gold hydrogen: a near limitless supply of clean fuel?
Under The Radar Huge deposits found in northern France but major energy companies are holding back, for now
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The push for net zero
The Explainer Britain has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. What will this involve?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Japan's new solar panel technology might forever alter the renewables market
Under the radar All thanks to perovskite solar panel technology
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Poor pollution regulation (still) impacts the lives of Gulf Coast residents
Under the Radar Many people in the region are experiencing health problems as a result of nearby refineries
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can the world really wean itself off coal?
Today's Big Question 'Record' global consumption is set to fall soon but growing demand in China and India could increase tensions
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How did Japan's earthquake compare to others across the world?
Today's Big Question Relatively low death toll a testament to country's preparedness, say experts
By The Week UK Published
-
America's natural gas boom
The Explainer The fossil fuel has replaced coal as the top source of electricity in the U.S. Is that good for the climate?
By The Week US Published