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As AI Companies Race for Power, Amazon and Google Have the Lead by Jinjoo Lee

William Attardi on June 29, 2026

Amazon has an incumbent advantage, and Google stands out for some innovative approaches. The rapid adoption of AI has intensified power demand among hyperscale cloud companies, with Amazon and Google at the forefront. Amazon’s US self-built data centers now use up to 9 gigawatts of power, a figure comparable to an entire state’s generation capacity. Google and Microsoft trail with capacities around 5 gigawatts each, while Meta sits at 4 gigawatts. The competition is not merely about expansion but also about securing reliable, scalable power sources to meet the growing requirements of AI workloads. All the hyperscalers have also placed bets on novel technology providers that promise to eventually supply cheap, clean, reliable and fast energy. These range from small modular nuclear reactors, advanced geothermal and novel batteries to solar energy beamed in from space. SpaceX and Google are even eyeing data centers in space. As AI Companies Race for Power, Amazon and Google Have the Lead – WSJ

Nuclear Power Could Be a $10 Trillion Industry That ‘Holds the Answer to the World’s Power Shortages’

William Attardi on September 23, 2025

Nuclear energy represents a $10 trillion potential market opportunity that could hold “the answer to the world’s power shortages,” according to a new report from Bank of America. To meet the growing demand for global electrification stoked by energy-intensive projects like the data centers underpinning the AI arms race, global nuclear capacity will have to triple by 2050, the firm estimated. Investment is expected to reach more than $3 trillion in the next 25 years. Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs are typically designed to produce around 500 megawatts or less of energy compared to a traditional nuclear power plant’s 1,000 MW or more. Unlike traditional nuclear power plants that may take years — if not decades — to bring online, SMRs are cheaper and faster to build, with “modular” parts that can be mass-produced and slotted together on an assembly line.  Nuclear power could be a $10 trillion industry that ‘holds the answer to the world’s power shortages’

Scaling Intelligence: The Exponential Growth of AI’s Power Needs

William Attardi on August 12, 2025

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)—particularly the training of large-scale “frontier models”—is driving renewed growth in electricity demand. This report analyzes the technical drivers of AI power consumption, projects future demand trajectories for individual training sites and broader AI needs, and highlights energy sector implications. Their analysis found not only that the power demands of AI have increased steadily, but also that they will keep increasing. While training large, advanced AI models currently requires between 100 and 150 megawatts each, they are projected to require more than four gigawatts apiece by 2030.This Product is publicly available at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Scaling Intelligence: The Exponential Growth of AI’s Power Needs

The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050

William Attardi on April 8, 2025

In recent years, the world has faced unprecedented growth in energy demand caused by digitalization, the development of artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and other energy-consuming technologies. In an attempt to handle this challenge, Amazon, Meta, and Google — top stock gainers during previous years — as well as 14 leading banks and financial institutions, energy suppliers, and representatives of heavy industry, have joined forces to achieve the ambitious goal of tripling global nuclear power capacity by 2050. The World Nuclear Association initiated this program — for the first time, companies not directly involved in nuclear energy have publicly supported scaling nuclear power plants to meet their needs.  Powering the Future: The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050 – Programming Insider

NEMA Releases Grid Reliability Study

William Attardi on April 7, 2025

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has released its new study on grid reliability, “A Reliable Grid for an Electric Future”, which focuses on challenges we face with electric demand, consumption and production over the next 25 years. The study highlights U.S. electricity demand outlook to 2050 and outlines technology and policy solutions to meet demand growth. Two key drivers behind the demand will be data centers and EV charging. To prioritize grid reliability and ensure our electrical infrastructure can adapt to surging demand and the integration of renewable energy, we can’t build capacity fast enough. We need to invest in a suite of innovative near-term technologies to meet demand growth and prioritize policy and regulatory certainty to deliver a reliable and affordable energy system. makeitelectric.org Study at: pa-nema-grid-flexibility-study.pdf

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

William Attardi on January 6, 2025

The report prominently highlights new uncertainties embedded in volatile shifts in power demand and supply dynamics, an ever-more urgent need for grid modernization, and the growing precariousness of supply chains amid geopolitical tensions.

    1. Electricity Demand Is Set to Skyrocket. Can the Grid Keep Up?
    2. Energy Security Ever-More Dependent on Electricity.
    3. Pressure Is Mounting to Sustain Adequate Power Supply.
    4. Natural Gas Demand Rising, but Long-Term Role Uncertain.
    5. Supply Chain Risks—the Achilles’ Heel of the Clean Energy Transition.
    6. China Is Now an Undeniable Influential Powerhouse.

Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

 

 

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”