For decades, Big Tech has been one of the largest and most innovative proponents of clean energy. Silicon Valley giants have put considerable amounts of money and effort into making their companies greener and supporting renewable energy growth. But in recent years, the conversation around the tech sector’s energy use has changed from one of pride and optimism to a far more anxious conversation colored by an uncertain future. The problem Artificial Intelligence.
In fact, the projected energy consumption of the tech sector, primarily driven by AI’s breakneck growth, is so large that Big Tech leaders aren’t just worried about having enough clean energy to keep their carbon footprint in check, they’re worried about having enough energy, period. “New data centers can be built faster than new power generation and there is already a supply crunch,” the Wall Street Journal recently reported.