Energy is used in many communities throughout the United States (US) and throughout the world. In recent years there has been a significant increase in energy usage due to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In addition to the increased energy usage from AI, the increase in heat waves across the country has begun to test the capacity of the grid. This article will dive into how the heat wave is impacting the power grid and energy usage.
In the past few years AI was introduced to the public. Though AI can be a very helpful tool, there are negative impacts as well. The increase of AI usage is impacting the power grid and is projected to continue to increase the power usage. It is estimated that by 2030, AI energy demand will increase to 12%. Also, it is suggested that AI usage will impact water consumption and emissions. It is possible that through research and testing, the processes used for AI could become more efficient, which then would decrease the impact of AI on the environment.
In late June, there was a heat wave that impacted many major cities across the US. This heat wave put pressure on the power grid. Due to the increased use of air conditioning units, the grid in many places was not able to handle the stress. This caused power outages and blackouts, leaving people without power or air conditioning during the heat wave. From 2014 to 2023, there was a 60% increase in power outages due to heat waves. Due to the state of the planet and the continued trend in global warming, this will become a pressing issue.
Demand response is one of the potential options to reduce the strain on the grid. Demand response is increasing the cost of energy at the peak demand. This would incentivize people to use less energy at peak hours. This June in New York City (NYC), there was an increase in cost from $100/MWH to $2400/MWH, as there was so much demand for energy. Though this idea of using a price incentive to decrease the use of energy could be a temporary solution, there are social implications. As this would significantly impact vulnerable populations and low-income communities. This is not a long-term or holistic solution to this issue, and more viable alternatives need to be researched and implemented.
The use of renewable energy could help to reduce the stress on the power grid. For example, if there were more personal solar panels used, then there would be less stress on the power grid. This would then lead to fewer blackouts throughout the city. The issue with using personal solar panels is that they are expensive and have to be bought by the individual. Though there used to be tax credits available to people who bought solar panels, the Big Beautiful Bill was recently passed, which will remove those tax credits and decrease the number of people buying solar panels.