Data Center Boom Will Boost AEP’s Electricity Demand By 42%
- Utilities worldwide are struggling to supply new data centers
- AEP will supply new facilities planned for Ohio, Texas
A power substation near a data center in Ashburn, Virginia.
Photographer: Nathan Howard/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A data center building boom across the US will boost the amount of electricity American Electric Power Co. plans to supply by 15 gigawatts — the output of 15 nuclear reactors — by 2030, company executives said Tuesday.
The additional power is equal to 42% of the AEP’s current peak load and comes as utilities worldwide struggle to supply new data centers, which require large amounts of electricity to run complex artificial intelligence operations. Electrified factories and battery-powered cars are also adding to the biggest growth in electricity demand utilities have seen in a generation.