This post was originally published on Data Center Knowledge
(Bloomberg) — The US faces a potential electricity crisis this decade as a surge in demand to power data centers bumps into the cold reality of aged and vulnerable grids.
That’s according to Schneider Electric SE, which estimates that by 2028, the amount of electric generation available at peak moments won’t be enough to meet demand if the same level of backup capacity is maintained. According to the electrical-equipment manufacturer’s analysis, a capacity shortfall of as much as 175 GW will emerge by 2033, resulting in outages and blackouts.
America’s power system, a patchwork of regional networks and utilities, is being strained by data centers, new factories and electric vehicles. Even before the artificial-intelligence boom of the past two years, the grid was under stress from extreme weather and a growing amount of intermittent renewable energy.
“This could mean falling behind” China in the AI race, Jeannie Salo, Schneider Electric’s chief public policy officer for North America, said in an interview. “We would be signaling to the world that we don’t have the ability to keep up with the power demands of the modern era. That might mean less investment coming into the US.”
Schneider Electric forecasts that rising peak
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