Source: Volts
Data centers powering AI training consume enormous electricity at precisely the moment grids are struggling to decarbonize. Unlike traditional load, they can't be easily shifted or curtailed, effectively locking in fossil fuel generation. The climate math is unforgiving: if AI compute demand doubles every 18 months while renewable capacity takes years to build, data centers become a structural drag on emissions targets. This is a capacity and timing problem that forces a choice between AI scaling and climate commitments.