U.S. data centers' electricity consumption triples in a decade, fueled by natural gas.

“Secretary of Energy Chris Wright called the nation’s transmission system the backbone of secure, reliable electricity delivery, and right now, that backbone is straining under the weight of 21st-century demands.” Modernizing transmission infrastructure is about more than the grid, it’s about unleashing American excellence, enabling innovation, and enhancing the next frontier of the economy. Read about how an American company emphasizes the importance of domestic manufacturing of modern energy infrastructure in this new article in Energy Central, written by TS Conductor CEO Jason Huang: “Advanced conductors made in the USA support America’s energy and AI goals. Here’s how.” https://lnkd.in/gQbuerRK  

This week’s headlines underscore a pivotal inflection point for the world’s power grids. The rapid acceleration of AI-driven data centers has taken grid planners by surprise, pushing electricity demand to all-time highs after decades of flat growth. Data center electricity use, already more than 4% of U.S. total consumption, is predicted to triple in just a few years—setting the pace for transformative industry change. At the same time, grid responses are shifting. The U.S. is set to add a record 72 billion kilowatt-hours of new utility-scale solar this year—over a third more than last year—alongside modest growth in wind, hydro, and nuclear output. This renewable surge demonstrates our sector’s ability to scale cleaner, decentralized energy. The lessons for grid modernization are clear: - Digital forecasting and flexible operations are now core capabilities. - Partnering across tech and utility domains is essential to reliably integrate new, high-intensity loads while delivering decarbonization. - Service innovation—digital twin grid modeling, predictive reliability analytics, and AI-powered flexibility markets—will drive who leads in this new era. How can we as industry leaders accelerate digital innovation and collaboration to ensure our grids not only meet today’s surging demands but also lead the way to a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient energy future? #EnergyTransition #DigitalGrid #AI #Renewables #ServiceInnovation

🔋 Grid instability is now a year-round challenge, and Aurora’s latest report underscores the need for flexible solutions like batteries, microgrids, and responsive data centers. Rehlko is helping customers stay ahead with resilient, distributed energy systems built for unpredictable conditions. Read more: https://ow.ly/fzYf30sOWuF #GridResilience #Microgrids #EnergyFlexibility #EnergySolutions #SustainableEnergy #DistributedEnergy #EnergyStorage #SmartGrids #RenewableEnergy #Rehlko

Eric Nuttall isn’t buying the ‘energy transition’ narrative. With AI and data centers fueling demand, he says natural gas—not wind or solar—will power the future. And why Canada might be the top bet for global supply growth.

AI Is Driving Explosive Growth in U.S. Energy Demand — Can We Keep Up? With the rise of AI-powered data centers, factories, and commercial buildings, the U.S. is entering an era of unprecedented electricity demand — especially during peak summer months. According to BNEF, demand will double from 39GW in 2024 to 78GW by 2035. To meet this challenge, only one technology is scalable, fast-to-deploy, and cost-effective enough: ➡️ Utility-scale solar. But there’s a deadline. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will drastically reduce solar incentives after July 3, 2026. Projects that aren’t under construction before then risk losing IRA benefits. 💡 Why solar still leads — even as gas prices dip: 🔹 Lazard’s 2025 Levelized Cost of Energy+ report: • Utility solar: $0.038–$0.212/kWh • Combined-cycle gas: $0.048–$0.107/kWh • Nuclear: $0.141–$0.220/kWh “Despite macro challenges, utility-scale solar remains the lowest-cost and most deployable form of new-build energy — even without subsidies.” – Lazard LCOE+ 2025 🏗️ At Thornova Solar, we’re enabling developers and EPCs to move fast with: ✅ High-efficiency, U.S.-ready solar modules ✅ Strong stock availability ✅ Support for utility, commercial & industrial scale projects ⚠️ Protect your incentives. Meet AI-driven demand. Stay ahead of policy shifts. 🔗 Learn more: www.thornovasolar.com #ThornovaSolar #UtilityScaleSolar #AIandEnergy #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #SolarForDataCenters #IRA #SolarModules #USPowerGrid #LCOE #SolarDeployment #Solar2025

Big data is already having a massive impact on our nation's power grids, and this is just the beginning. The development of energy saving technologies might help with the forecasted demand spikes... https://lnkd.in/ezgTpkeg

The world is entering the “Age of Electricity” but our grids are not ready. The International Energy Agency warns that while global electricity demand is set to rise nearly 4% annually through 2027, transmission networks are struggling to keep pace. Already 1,650 GW of wind and solar projects are stuck waiting for grid connections, a massive missed opportunity for clean power. Building the future grid is not just about laying wires; it’s about overcoming supply chain bottlenecks. Prices for cables and transformers have nearly doubled since 2019, and lead times have stretched to 3–5 years. Manufacturers are racing to expand, but labor shortages, raw material costs, and complex permitting rules threaten progress. To avoid an energy “gridlock”, the IEA lays out eight urgent strategies: better demand visibility, stronger industry dialogue, proactive investment, streamlined permitting, smarter use of existing infrastructure, diversified supply chains, and a skilled workforce. 💡 The message is clear: invest in grids today or risk slowing the clean energy transition tomorrow. The transmission network is the backbone of a secure, sustainable, and electrified future.

BATTERIES BEAT GAS IN CALIFORNIA’S POWER GRID On August 19, California’s grid hit a wild milestone: batteries supplied about 27% of all electricity at peak demand. Around 6 p.m., they pumped out 9–10 GW of power, out of a total 35–38 GW. Not bad for a technology people said “wouldn’t scale.” Here’s why it matters: Solar is awesome but only shines during the day. When the sun dips, demand spikes (lights, AC, EVs), and the grid panics. That’s the “duck curve.” Batteries fix it by charging on extra midday solar, then unloading at night like giant energy vending machines. The payoff is big. Batteries cut fossil gas use by up to 20%, kept the lights on through heat waves, and saved billions by skipping new transmission lines. They even make money, buying cheap solar at ~$15/MWh midday and selling it at ~$60/MWh in the evening. Meanwhile, the DOE still insists coal, gas, and nuclear are “unwavering.” Cute, except California proved storage plus solar can handle peak demand without blackouts. By 2025, battery capacity passed 15 GW and is still growing fast. Without them, we’d waste millions of MWh of solar every year. Bottom line: storage makes renewables reliable, kills gas peakers, and saves cash. The “unwavering” fuels are looking more like “unnecessary.”

£1,793 million is a key number for Ed Miliband, Chris Stark CBE and Fintan Slye to focus on. Its the cost of grid constraints in 24/25- turning down wind and turning up gas due to lack of grid capacity to move power from where we generate it to where we use it. These costs land on the bill - about £20 per household. To keep bills down and public support up we need to tackle cost drivers like constraints. The root of the issue is years of failing to build transmission grid in line with renewables, something we are now putting right. But this will take time. If we don't act in meantime the cost could rise. The good news is there is lots we can do in the ‘control room of the future’ with better, near real-time market data and AI enabled forecasting and analysis. E.g. Regen analysis shows that the biggest driver of constraint costs over the past 18 months has not been lack of grid capacity per se - but 'outages' on network. This will be a key focus for Regen over the coming months so look out for further insights and events from my colleague Johnny Gowdy . Akshay Kaul Fintan Slye Chris Stark CBE

According to a recent Financial Times report, several U.K. data center developers are exploring direct connections to natural gas pipelines. The reason: - Grid connection delays stretching several years, - Surging electricity demand driven by AI and cloud expansion, - Need for a reliable interim power source to keep projects on schedule. This development highlights how natural gas is being positioned as a stopgap to support digital infrastructure growth, even as long-term energy strategies prioritize renewables. For the energy market, it signals two important realities: 1️⃣ Gas continues to play a critical role in ensuring supply security. 2️⃣ Infrastructure bottlenecks can reshape demand patterns in unexpected ways. The intersection of energy security and digital growth is becoming more visible than ever.