Largest US power grid is under strain from AI

Data centers consume power faster than new plants can be built.

Global news you can trust. Download the Reuters App. One Essential Read One Essential Read Recommended by Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor America's largest power grid is struggling to meet demand from AI   The former Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Pennsylvania, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz In recent months I have been hearing about people using chatbots for all sorts of things, including recipes, informal therapy sessions, and diary management. But as AI expands into areas way beyond our working lives, it is having some unintended consequences. As demand exploded, tech giants started scouring the US power grid for capacity to power data centers. This has contributed to higher electricity bills in some parts of PJM Interconnection's territory, which covers 13 states - from Illinois to Tennessee, Virginia to New Jersey. Read the full article Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website Reuters One Essential Read is sent three days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you've engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions © 2025 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036