AI systems are not just clever algorithms that float in the internet cloud. They require massive computational power, specialized hardware, reliable energy with backup (mainly electricity) and cooling infrastructure (mainly cold water). The training needs alone require 1000's of GPU running in parallel. NVIDIA is a leader with its chips in this area.

Electricity rates in the USA are increasing by over 6% in some areas as more data centres are built.

Hydro-Quebec wants to increase its cost of electricity to new data centres to about 13 cents/KWH (double the current price).  As an aside, Hydro-Quebec wants to also increase its cost of electricity to  block chain and cryptocurrency operations to about 19.5 cents/KWH .

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Interesting Facts:

There are 10,000 - 12,000 data centres globally. The USA has over 5000, Germany 500+, UK 500+, China 449, Canada 337, others like France, Australia, Netherlands, Russia, Japan between 200 - 300 each.

Thus, North America has about 6000; EU about 3350; Asia Pacific about 1800; Central and South America about 650; and Oceania 400.

Small data centres are about 5,000 square feet; large data centres are 50,000 - 100,000 square feet; and hyperscale data centres are over one million square feet.

The electric power needed to run these centres is: USA 54 GW; EU 21 GW; China 21 GW; Asia Pacific excluding China 17 GW; and Rest of World 11 GW.  

In total about 122 GW of generating power is needed globally (3 times the generating power of Ontario - see below).

The data centres in 2024 consumed about 415 TWH of electricity. This is expected to more than double to 945 TWH in 2030 and reach about 1500 TWH in 2035.

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Notes:

Electrical generating power is measured in GW (gigawatts or 1000 megawatts or 1000 million watts).

Electrical power consumed is measured in KWH (kilowatt hours). One TWH or one terawatt hour is one trillion watt hours.

The Pickering Nuclear Reactors (which provide about 10% of Ontario's electricity power requirements) are rated at 2,000 MW or 2 GW.

The new SMRs (small modular reactors) being  built at Darlington in Ontario are about 300 MW or 0.3 GW each.

Ontario has about 40 GW of electrical generating capacity. Ontario consumes about 140 TWH of electrical power annually.

The annual global electrical power consumed by data centres is estimated to grow to 945 TWH in 2030: USA 426 TWH; EU 109 TWH; China 175 TWH; Asia Pacific excluding China 235 TWH; and Rest of World 235 TWH.  

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Stay safe and healthy

Cheers George