US regulatory agencies warn: Data center electricity demand surges, many states face power outage risks this winter

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), a stable regulatory agency for the U.S. power grid, released a winter assessment report on Tuesday, stating that the continuously increasing power demand from data centers is significantly increasing the risk of power outages in large areas of the United States this winter. The report indicates that electricity consumption in the United States this winter is expected to increase by 20 gigawatts compared to the same period last year, which is equivalent to the installed capacity of 20 large nuclear reactors. NERC warns that if the country were to experience a strong winter storm similar to those in recent years, "high-risk areas" such as the northwest, Texas, and North Carolina could face energy shortages. NERC assessment manager Mark Olson pointed out, "Since last winter, data centers have been the main contributors to the significant increase in electricity demand in these areas." With the advancement of artificial intelligence, the prosperity of data centers has reversed the trend of stagnant electricity demand in the United States for 20 years, putting more pressure on the already aging power grid infrastructure. Winter risks are particularly acute because solar power generation hours are reduced, and natural gas supply may be limited by frozen pipelines.