Here's something that’ll make you think — new datacentres in Great Britain might push electricity use way beyond what we currently generate. According to Ofgem, the industry watchdog, about 140 proposed projects, mainly fueled by AI, could demand a staggering 50 gigawatts of power. That’s about 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand. So, what does this mean? Well, as Dan Milmo and Jillian Ambrose report for The Guardian, if these plans go ahead, we could see electricity consumption double or even triple. The catch? The grid isn’t ready for that kind of leap, and it could strain our energy system to the breaking point. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — these datacentres are supposed to support our digital future, but they might end up creating new challenges for energy supply and climate goals. And get this — experts warn that without proper planning, we could be heading toward a major power crunch faster than we think.
Ofgem says about 140 proposed projects, driven by AI use, could require more power than current peak demand
The amount of power being sought by new datacentre projects in Great Britain would exceed the national current peak electricity consumption, according to an industry watchdog.
Ofgem said about 140 proposed datacentre schemes, driven by use of artificial intelligence, could require 50 gigawatts of electricity – 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand.
Continue reading...
Ofgem says about 140 proposed projects, driven by AI use, could require more power than current peak demand
The amount of power being sought by new datacentre projects in Great Britain would exceed the national current peak electricity consumption, according to an industry watchdog.
Ofgem said about 140 proposed datacentre schemes, driven by use of artificial intelligence, could require 50 gigawatts of electricity – 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand.
Continue reading...