Electricity demand in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, driven primarily by two key factors: the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the rapid expansion of data centers.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a single search using ChatGPT consumes nearly ten times as much electricity as a typical Google search, at 2.9 watt-hours.
Wells Fargo predicts that by 2030, electricity demand in the United States due to generative AI will grow from 3 terawatt-hours in 2023 to 652 terawatt-hours, a 217-fold increase. This figure is close to South Korea's annual electricity consumption and 2.6 times Taiwan's electricity consumption in 2024.
To meet this demand, tech giants are investing heavily in data center construction. OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle announced the "Stargate" initiative, which will invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure over the next four years.