Report: Surge in Power Use Threatens US Climate Goals

Demand for electricity in the U.S. is surging, which could impede plans by the Biden administration to fight climate change and lead to blackouts if more power isn’t brought online soon, the New York Times reported.

Electricity demand at U.S. data centers is expected to triple by 2030, the equivalent of electricity used by about 40 million homes, according to the Boston Consulting Group, driven by internet use.

“The numbers we’re seeing are pretty crazy,” Daniel Brooks, vice president of integrated grid and energy systems at the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit organization, told the Times.

The electric sector currently serves about 20% of the nation’s energy needs, but Brooks last year told Fox News that figure will likely rise to 40-60% by 2050 to meet President Joe Biden’s decarbonization goals.

Utilities in a handful of states are proposing to build dozens of power plants to keep up with the demand and, in doing so, burn more gas and coal to operate them, which is counter to Biden’s plan to green the U.S. economy.  

“I can’t recall the last time I was so alarmed about the country’s energy trajectory,” Tyler H. Norris, a former solar developer and expert in power systems who is now pursuing a doctorate at Duke University, told the Times.

If new gas-fired plants are approved by state regulators, Norris said, “It is game over for the Biden administration’s 2035 decarbonization goal.”

He added that it was feasible “to meet growing electricity demand without so much gas, but it requires regulators to challenge the utilities and push for less-traditional solutions.”

Utility executives told the Times that gas is needed to back up wind and solar power, which don’t operate all the time.

“We need to meet our customers’ needs at all times, even when renewable resources might not be providing energy,” said Aaron Mitchell, vice president of planning and pricing at Georgia Power. “It’s going to take a diversified fleet.”