AI Revolution Sparked Growth in Data Centers
Nuclear energy gained momentum as a green solution to data centers' rising power demands.
Jericho Casper
In 2024, the backbone of America’s digital transformation rested on thousands of data centers providing the computational power for AI, cloud services, and high-speed internet connectivity.
The number of new data center projects announced in the first half of the year have tripled, driven by the explosive demand for AI processing and cloud services. Estimates based upon a study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggest that U.S. data centers consumed more than 70 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or roughly 2% of total U.S. electricity consumption.
The 12 Days of Broadband (click to open)
- On the First Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
An extra-planetary-life-promoting tech billionaire set on electing a president. - On the Second Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me: 23 million served by the Affordable Connectivity Program.
- On the Third Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
3rd year without the Federal Communications Commission having spectrum auction authority. - On the Fourth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funds already allocated. - On the Fifth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
5,500 active satellites currently in Low-Earth Orbit. - On the Sixth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
More than 6 years of service at the FCC by Commissioner and Chairman-designate Brendan Carr. - On the Seventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
More than 70 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually consumed by data centers in the U.S. - On the Eighth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$8 billion dollars in annual Universal Service Funds. - On the Ninth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$90 billion in global telecom Merger & Acquisition deals value in 2024. - On the Tenth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
100 broadband-related rulemakings at the FCC relying on Chevron Deference. - On the Eleventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
Nearly 11 years to complete the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, complete with defaulted locations. - On the Twelfth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
12 Senators and Representatives signing the Andreessen-Horowitz “Little Tech” agenda.
Yet, as their energy demands soared this year, data centers faced ignited debates over energy sustainability and their impact on local communities.
