From WBEZ comes this echo of my prediction that data centers will eat up electricity that is needed by homes and other businesses:
“In Illinois and around the Midwest, coal and gas plants are extending their planned retirement dates even after a 2021 state law aimed to phase them out. Meanwhile, solar and wind projects are having a hard time getting up and running.
“Electricity needed for data centers, particularly those dedicated to artificial intelligence, is creating enormous demand for power — even sources that are polluting the air and contributing to global warming.
“In Illinois, renewable energy sources are supposed to fill the gaps as the dirty power from coal and gas would be eliminated once plants are closed. But the clean energy sources are not coming online fast enough because there is a delay in getting them connected to the electric grid.”
