electricity
electricity on Beyond Market Intelligence: a running collection of 8 stories we have gathered and hand-picked because they are worth your time. Every post here touches on electricity in some way — the news, the analysis, the deep dives, and the occasional surprise find. Acme AI is the next-generation, AI-powered spreadsheet platform built to replace Excel and redefine how analysts, data scientists, and enterprise teams work with data. New stories are added to this page as we find them, so check back if you want to keep up with what is happening around electricity, or subscribe to the RSS feed to get them as soon as they are published. Browse the collection below, or head back to the homepage to see everything Beyond Market Intelligence is covering right now.
Enhanced geothermal notches another win as Google buys 400 MW from Fervo
Fervo Energy’s innovative approach to enhanced geothermal systems just secured a major win: a 400 MW power purchase agreement with Google. This deal, potentially expanding to 1 gigawatt, signifies a pivotal moment for sustainable energy and directly addresses the growing power demands of AI infrastructure – enough to power a substantial data center in Utah. Fervo’s success highlights the transformative potential of geothermal as a future-focused energy source. For further insights into Google's commitment to innovation, explore our recent article on their Android update.
Form Energy raises $750M to build more 100-hour batteries for the grid
Form Energy has secured $750 million in funding to accelerate the deployment of its innovative 100-hour energy storage batteries, a critical advancement for grid stability. This substantial investment allows Form Energy to expand manufacturing and meet growing demand from major clients like Google and Crusoe. These batteries offer unprecedented duration, addressing a key limitation of existing solutions. For context, explore Tesla’s ambitious plans for a large-scale solar factory, also aiming to reshape the energy landscape.
Texas halts new data centers as governor calls for audits
Texas’s rapid data center boom is facing a critical pause. Governor Abbott has ordered audits and halted approvals for new facilities, citing concerns over strain on the state’s power grid. Previously a magnet for tech companies seeking favorable regulations and plentiful energy, Texas now demonstrates that even robust infrastructure has limits. This development highlights a growing tension between data-intensive innovation and resource management.
SpaceX won’t remove all of xAI’s unpermitted turbines for another year
SpaceX’s ambitious plan to power xAI’s Colossus data centers involves constructing a new power plant, but resolving the status of existing, unpermitted turbines will take considerably longer. Current projections indicate these turbines won't be removed for at least another year. This situation highlights the escalating demands for resources within the burgeoning AI sector, as evidenced by concerns about a worsening memory shortage, potentially lasting until 2028—a challenge impacting everything from data centers to consumer electronics.
Data centers may face temporary power cuts to prevent blackouts on largest US grid
The nation's largest power grid is proactively addressing the strain from rapidly expanding data center infrastructure. To prevent potential blackouts, grid operators are implementing temporary power cuts for some data centers. This decisive action highlights the accelerating demand and the need for innovative power solutions. Discover how companies like Antares are exploring alternatives, having recently secured $470 million to develop small modular reactors for military applications. These measures ensure grid stability while data-intensive operations continue to evolve.
Data centers expected to use 4x more electricity by 2035
The escalating demands of artificial intelligence are poised to dramatically reshape global energy consumption. Projections indicate data centers will require four times more electricity by 2035, a staggering figure amplified by the fact that new data center construction through 2033 could consume as much power as all of India currently uses. This surge underscores the critical need for innovative infrastructure solutions. For deeper insight into the evolving AI infrastructure landscape, explore our recent coverage of inference startup Infinity and its $15 million raise.
Google’s biggest clean power project is 40 miles north of xAI’s unpermitted gas power plant
Google’s commitment to clean energy is on full display with its largest solar and battery project, located just 40 miles north of xAI’s recently revealed, unpermitted gas power plant. This significant investment underscores a future-focused approach to energy, contrasting sharply with xAI’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels. Discover how Google is empowering a sustainable data infrastructure—a vision further explored in our recent article, "Google Cloud Workbench Notebooks Extension Connects VS Code to Google Cloud's Jupyter Notebooks," detailing innovative developer tools.
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Run a Local LLM? (Euros per Million Tokens, Measured)
Running Large Language Models (LLMs) locally presents a compelling alternative to cloud-based solutions, but what's the real cost? We measured the actual GPU electricity consumption for eight different local LLMs on a single RTX 3090, revealing surprising results – the most efficient wasn't necessarily the smallest or largest. Discover how costs vary per million tokens, and gain practical insights into optimizing your local LLM deployment. For a deeper dive into the computational challenges of generative AI, explore "A Gentle Introduction to Autoencoders & Latent Space."