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Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand? by Greg Zimmerman

William Attardi on April 30, 2025

Demand from data centers is expected to more than triple by 2028, according to the Department of Energy. This is largely due to the explosion of Artificial Intelligence, and its intense demand for electricity.  Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are just a few of the big tech companies investing billions in solar technology. Two of the main reasons for the investment in solar is that the solar development timeline is much shorter than for other sources electricity. At 1.4 years, solar is the shortest timeline to develop an 800-megawatt solar plant. That’s compared to 15 years for a nuclear power and 6.7 years for a coal-fired power plant.  Also, solar is much less expensive, is easily scalable, and pays back much quicker than other sources of electricity.   Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand?  – Facility Management Green Quick Read

Cost of Electricity Expected to Skyrocket Due to Data Center Demand by Greg Zimmerman

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The explosion of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining, and other computing-intensive processes have fueled a building boom for data centers. But they’ve also fueled a massive spike in energy demand, which is in turn leading to higher energy prices for many facilities across the country.  One study estimates data centers could be responsible for a 70 percent increase in the cost of electricity over the next 10 years. One hyperscale data center, as a point of reference, can use as much electricity as 40,000 homes.  Cost of Electricity Expected to Skyrocket Due to Data Center Demand – Facility Management Data Centers Quick Read

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.