AI data center power demand has hit 29.6 gigawatts — roughly what it takes to power the entire state of New York at peak

[1srelluc]

MSN

Somewhere in the sprawl of Northern Virginia, a new substation hums to life, feeding electricity to rows of servers training the next generation of AI models. Multiply that scene across hundreds of facilities in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and beyond, and you arrive at a number that would have seemed absurd five years ago: the power demand from AI data centers in the United States has reached approximately 29.6 gigawatts. That is roughly 94 percent of what New York state needs at the single hottest hour of summer to keep every apartment, office tower, subway car, and factory running.

The comparison is not hypothetical. The New York Department of Public Service’s 2025 summer energy outlook, drawing on projections from the New York Independent System Operator, pegs the state’s expected peak demand at 31,471 megawatts, or about 31.5 GW. A single technology sector is now within striking distance of that benchmark, and the gap is narrowing fast.
New York’s peak demand figure is the more solid of the two data points. It is a regulatory filing built on engineering models, historical load curves, and weather forecasts. If NYISO gets it wrong, the consequences are tangible: rolling blackouts, emergency power purchases, and public accountability. That institutional weight is what makes it a useful yardstick.

The 29.6 GW figure for AI data centers is less tidy. No single government agency tallies every AI facility in the country and publishes a running total. The number is assembled by firms such as DC Byte and Synergy Research Group, which aggregate announced projects, signed power purchase agreements, and facilities already drawing power. Because many projects have not yet reached full operational load, the real-time draw on the grid at any given moment is almost certainly lower. The gap between contracted capacity and actual consumption can run 30 percent or more, depending on how many servers are active and how intensively they are working.

It might be overblown a bit but you can see what's coming.....Hell, I might see the dire results before I'm dead at this rate.

 

[80zephyr]

Are these centers a matter of national security?

 

[1srelluc]

Are these centers a matter of national security?

Data Centers as a Matter of National Security​

In today’s geopolitical climate, data centers are increasingly seen as a critical component of U.S. national security. The location and ownership of these facilities are no longer just technical or economic issues—they are tied to technological sovereignty, economic resilience, and the ability to protect against foreign interference ip-check.info.

Why Data Centers Matter for National Security​

• Technological sovereignty: Keeping American data on American soil reduces the risk of foreign adversaries—especially China—gaining access to sensitive information, intellectual property, or infrastructure control ip-check.info.
• Cybersecurity: Data centers are nodes in the nation’s digital backbone. Their security directly impacts the resilience of government systems, critical infrastructure, and private sector operations Homeland Security.
• Economic and tax benefits: Domestic data centers keep tax revenue within the U.S., funding public services and local economies, while avoiding the loss of revenue that can occur when infrastructure is hosted abroad ip-check.info.

Public and Political Consensus​

Polling shows strong bipartisan support for domestic data center operations: 77% of Americans believe it is extremely or very important that American data remains in U.S. borders, and 83% agree data centers serving American consumers should operate domestically ip-check.info. This reflects a broader concern about foreign influence, data privacy, and the integrity of the digital economy.

Strategic Competition​

China’s aggressive push for technological dominance poses a direct threat. The U.S. must strengthen its own digital infrastructure to maintain leadership and prevent dependency on foreign-controlled systems ip-check.info. While European data centers might seem like an alternative, they can complicate U.S. business practices and divert tax revenue overseas ip-check.info.

I suspect the "mah china" hawks think so, or they are just using it as an excuse to run roughshod over the citizenry.

 

[1srelluc]

It's bad enough as it is but AI is also being used against us.

MSN

The grocery stores that use dynamic pricing — and what that means for your wallet​

If you've been following the latest trends in how grocery stores are run, you may have heard about dynamic pricing. The strategy, which also goes by several other names including algorithmic pricing and surveillance pricing, essentially boils down to using personal data and tracking to change the price of products on the fly, depending on who is buying and when. Some online retailers like Amazon have been doing this for years, but in the age of AI more attention is being paid, and the practice has been particularly controversial when applied to staples like food, with the worry that companies can use the practice to push up what they charge individual customers to maximize their profits and drive further inflation in grocery prices.

While serious abuses have not become common yet, the practice is being employed by lots of prominent grocery companies, including Walmart, Kroger, Target, Safeway, Alberton's, and more.

 

[The Duke]

MSN

Somewhere in the sprawl of Northern Virginia, a new substation hums to life, feeding electricity to rows of servers training the next generation of AI models. Multiply that scene across hundreds of facilities in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and beyond, and you arrive at a number that would have seemed absurd five years ago: the power demand from AI data centers in the United States has reached approximately 29.6 gigawatts. That is roughly 94 percent of what New York state needs at the single hottest hour of summer to keep every apartment, office tower, subway car, and factory running.

The comparison is not hypothetical. The New York Department of Public Service’s 2025 summer energy outlook, drawing on projections from the New York Independent System Operator, pegs the state’s expected peak demand at 31,471 megawatts, or about 31.5 GW. A single technology sector is now within striking distance of that benchmark, and the gap is narrowing fast.
New York’s peak demand figure is the more solid of the two data points. It is a regulatory filing built on engineering models, historical load curves, and weather forecasts. If NYISO gets it wrong, the consequences are tangible: rolling blackouts, emergency power purchases, and public accountability. That institutional weight is what makes it a useful yardstick.

The 29.6 GW figure for AI data centers is less tidy. No single government agency tallies every AI facility in the country and publishes a running total. The number is assembled by firms such as DC Byte and Synergy Research Group, which aggregate announced projects, signed power purchase agreements, and facilities already drawing power. Because many projects have not yet reached full operational load, the real-time draw on the grid at any given moment is almost certainly lower. The gap between contracted capacity and actual consumption can run 30 percent or more, depending on how many servers are active and how intensively they are working.

It might be overblown a bit but you can see what's coming.....Hell, I might see the dire results before I'm dead at this rate.

What's the point of these things? Pretty sure there was a Rockford Files about data centers like this.