Solar to dominate energy by 2035, but AI data centers will keep fossil fuels in business
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/solar-to-dominate-energy-in-2035-but-data-centers-will-keep-fossil-fuels-in-business/
85 points · 9 comments · view on lemmy.world
9 Comments
FederatedFreedom1981@lemmy.ca · 21 pts · 90d
Just remember, every time you use Google AI, you're helping encourage these data centers to continue operating. I switched over to Ecosia as a search engine and browser, and have disabled the AI. Every little bit counts.
hex_m_hell@slrpnk.net · 11 pts · 89d
Ok but...
CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 90d
Jevon's paradox
BlackJerseyGiant@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 89d
^^^ This exactly. "We're going to reduce our carbon footprint by deploying Gigawatts more gas and coal, and aren't these solar panels Shiny!"
MyOpinion@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 90d
Time to ban data centers.
blarghly@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 90d
Datacenters are how the internet works
AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space · 11 pts · 89d
Time to stop calling hyperscale GPU farms “data centres” then. There’s a difference between housing a few exabytes of spinning disks with enough compute to run S3 APIs and PHP servers and enough GPU power to continuously statistically correlate all the world’s data to better generate slop from.
Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 90d
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 2 pts · 88d
Maybe if we massively overbuild renewables, and then the AI bubble pops, electricity demand will suddenly drop, leaving us with an almost completely renewable-powered grid, since there's no longer enough demand to spin up the fossil fuel plants?
Squizzy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 89d
Peak demand hours set to change to 9-5 being peak