Source: The Atlantic
AI's computational demands are forcing communities to confront the physical costs of generative AI—massive energy consumption, water usage, and grid strain—that Silicon Valley had previously externalized into the background. Unlike cloud infrastructure that could hide in remote locations, AI training requires so much power that it's now competing directly with residents for reliable electricity and triggering coordinated local opposition that standard corporate lobbying struggles to overcome. This creates real constraints on where and how quickly companies can deploy next-generation models, potentially shifting competitive advantage toward firms with existing power infrastructure or those willing to negotiate serious community concessions.