NYSE:AES 23 March 2026

AI Data Center Power Crisis Deepens After Google Warns U.S. Grid Can’t Keep Up

AI Data Center Power Crisis Deepens After Google Warns U.S. Grid Can’t Keep Up

Google sounded the alarm Monday over what it sees as lagging U.S. electricity development, flagging power as an obstacle on par with semiconductors for the next generation of AI data centers. “We are concerned that we are not full throttle on energy,” said Alphabet and Google President Ruth Porat, speaking at CERAWeek in Houston. The squeeze is real now: big cloud players are scaling up computing muscle much faster than utilities can put up new grids and substations. U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows power demand has climbed 1.7% annually since 2020, after a long stretch of barely any change, thanks mostly to sprawling computing hubs. Looking ahead, the agency sees load picking up 1.9% in 2026, then 2.5% in
March 23, 2026
AI’s Energy Appetite Puts Data Center Power Demand, Utility Stocks in Focus

AI’s Energy Appetite Puts Data Center Power Demand, Utility Stocks in Focus

Nvidia and newcomer Emerald AI announced Monday at CERAWeek in Houston they're teaming up with AES, Constellation, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Nscale Energy & Power, and Vistra on what they’re calling “flexible” AI data centers. The idea: these centers can cut back or reschedule their power draw when the grid gets tight—helping speed up new connections as electricity demand, not just chips, becomes the bottleneck for the sector. The timing isn’t complicated. Just last week, Google broadened deals enabling utilities to trim as much as 1 gigawatt from its data center load when the grid is under pressure. Then, two days ago, SoftBank and AEP rolled out plans for a 10-gigawatt campus in Ohio, supported by 9.2 GW of new gas-fired
March 23, 2026