As the United States continues its journey toward relying less on carbon-based energy, there’s one serious hurdle to overcome: the extreme power consumption of data centers. 

Recently, Bloomberg Intelligence reported that data centers — buildings packed with the computing equipment for data storage and networking that AI and other operations depend on — could account for as much as 17% of the country’s electricity consumption by 2030. 

Although nuclear power and natural gas will be vital for the sustainability of these data centers in the future, the infrastructure is not yet in place. This means a continued reliance on carbon. 

Addressing the Data Center Problem

AI developments mean an increase in energy consumption, which has allowed coal-fired plants to continue operations. States like Georgia are already readying for a spike in energy demand by recruiting data centers and manufacturing facilities. 

But what are the options available to satisfy the growing need for more energy for these data centers? That’s one of the questions that energy and utilities officials throughout the country are discussing. 

Enchanted Rock, a Texas-based company that provides power to data centers via microgrids, has been part of the conversation. Allan Schurr, Enchanted Rock’s chief commercial officer, has concerns about the focus on using only coal-fired plants. 

“While we are waiting for nuclear power to bring substantial additional baseload to the grid, we don’t want to needlessly ‘recarbonize’ our energy resources by extending the life of older, less-efficient fossil generation plants like coal,” he states.

To address the problem, Schurr recommends on-site power generation for data centers using renewable resources like wind and solar as well as microgrids. Adding these to the mix would make data centers “assets, not liabilities, to the grid,” he states. 

Coal-Fired Plants Get a Reprieve

Virginia is home to almost half of all national data centers. PJM Interconnection, which is the grid operator for Virginia and 12 other states (along with D.C.), understands that this means needing to keep coal-fired plants working. Not only that, but new transmission lines need to be built. 

In Nebraska, the 644-MW North Omaha Station had a closing date of 2023, but it’s earned an extension until at least 2026 to ensure that the energy grid remains stable. The same thing has occurred in Georgia, with Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen extending operations. 

Although these plants staying open means jobs and energy, it’s not a sustainable solution. Data centers continue to expand, and there’s a constantly growing need for electricity to keep them running.

Creative Solutions 

As Enchanted Rock’s Schurr has stated, one of the most viable options for data centers is to consider onsite microgrids or creating energy through renewable resources. Not only does that reduce coal use, but it can also be an option for companies looking to open data centers where there’s a lack of energy transmission infrastructure. 

Enchanted Rock leadership believes that the issue requires creative solutions that incorporate traditional and innovative energy-generating strategies. 

Read the original article in Power Magazine.