Renewable Energy and Data Center Demand

This chapter examines the projected growth in renewable energy capacity alongside the increasing energy demands of data centers, estimating a 15% annual growth rate over the next five years. It highlights the challenges of matching renewable sources to demand locations, economic hurdles in scaling green hydrogen, and the complications faced by utilities in interconnecting new energy generation to the grid. The discussion underscores the pressing political and economic implications of electricity shortages, particularly in New York State, where infrastructure struggles to keep pace with burgeoning semiconductor manufacturing needs.