In the current United States, an outlet is something you can find in almost any building. Anything from residential homes to commercial buildings have made electricity an integral part of the American lifestyle. Even less noticeable things like air conditioning, street lighting, and traffic systems are all heavily dependent on electricity. The US is currently at its all time highest in power production to compensate for this lifestyle. And, with new technological innovation, this problem is only expected to get worse.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the newest technological innovation taking the world by storm due to its wide-ranging applications. Major names like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok have already become household names for many. However, a major critique of AI is the insanely high amount of power it requires to function. In fact, the power consumption of an AI query is anywhere between 23 and 30 times higher than that of a normal Google search. Replacing every Google search with this type of AI query would consume the same amount of electricity annually as the entirety of Ireland. So how prepared is the US power grid for AI?
At the moment, the United States is simply not in a position to support the growth of AI. The power grid is between 40 and 70 years old, with most transmission lines and transformers reaching their end of service dates. Moreover, the power demand is expected to grow by 50% due to AI and other recent factors. In order to meet this upcoming power demand, the US power grid simply has to be upgraded. Not only do newer transformers lack wear-and-tear damage, but they are also more efficient than their outdated counterparts. Ultimately, to keep the US growing, it needs to be powered. Upgrading the transformers in the US power grid is the best way to keep up with the power demand of tomorrow.
Source: ELSCO
