The Surge In The Use Of AI Is Worried That The Power Outage In The US And Canada Starting Next Year

Illustration of AI data centers that require largeenegri (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA The latest report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reveals that the surge in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) could cause power outages in the United States and Canada as soon as next year. This concern comes at the same time as the public launch of iOS 18.2, which brings many new features of Apple Intelligence that require large computing power.

According to NERC, the use of electricity by data centers that support AI services such as Apple's ChatGPT and Private Cloud Compute is expected to double in the next four years. This condition can burden power grids that are already overwhelmed with meeting demand.

In the Long Term Reliability Assessment report, NERC stated that the power grid in North America faces serious challenges in maintaining the reliability of energy supply. Electricity demand is increasing at an unprecedented pace, mainly due to the large power needs of data centers for AI services.

The report also notes that data centers are projected to use more than 1,000 terawatt electric clocks by 2026, double the consumption by 2022.

In addition, the transition from fossil fuel-based power plants to renewable energy that has not been running according to the target adds to this challenge. The NERC warns that a combination of increased electricity demand and the lack of new power generation capacity could cause a shortage of energy supply in the peak consumption period.

The US minimum region is predicted to be the first affected area. However, almost all regions in the US and Canada are expected to face the risk of power outages in the coming decade if mitigation measures are not taken immediately.

This report is in line with the prediction of the International Energy Agency (IEA) which states that the surge in electricity demand from data centers for AI services will continue to increase significantly until 2026.

The rapid growth of AI technology does bring great benefits to many sectors, but it also presents major challenges in terms of energy needs. This condition encourages governments and energy service providers to find solutions, such as accelerating the development of renewable energy plants and increasing the efficiency of power grids.

However, with a surge in demand projected to occur in a short time, many warn that immediate and coordinated action is needed to prevent a wider energy crisis in North America.