Posted on 11/23/2025 7:39:28 AM PST by DFG
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation reported Tuesday that winter electricity demand is increasing, especially in regions with high concentrations of artificial intelligence data centers.
NERC outlined in its 2025-2026 reliability report that “much of North America” is at risk of failing to meet demand in “extreme operating conditions.” Regions loaded with energy-hungry AI data centers face heightened outage risks during intense winter weather, according to NERC.
“Winter electricity demand is rising at the fastest rate in recent years, particularly in areas where data center development is occurring,” NERC said on Tuesday. “Although resources are adequate for normal winter peak demand, any prolonged, wide-area cold snaps will be challenging. This is largely due to rising electricity demand, which has grown by 20 GW since last winter, significantly outpacing winter on-peak capacity.”
Just four years ago, winter storm Uri devastated Texas and other parts of the South-Central U.S. along the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and Southwest Power Pool power grids. NERC Assessments and Performance Analysis Director John Moura said Tuesday that this coming winter resembles 2021 conditions.
“Electricity demand continues to grow faster than the resources being added to the grid, especially during the most extreme winter conditions where actual demand can topple forecasts by as much as 25 percent — as we saw in 2021 in ERCOT and SPP,” Moura said. “This latest assessment highlights progress on cold weather readiness but underscores that more work remains to ensure energy and fuel supplies can be reliably delivered even during the harshest conditions.”
NERC also noted that grids need to prepare for intermittent sources like solar and wind as well as natural gas generating less electricity during low-output periods and potentially severe cold snaps.
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournal.com ...
Still one of the greatest series ever.
Connections - The Trigger Effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XetplHcM7aQ
“And what in your comfortable urban life has ever prepared you for that decision?”
I think we are close now... This winter might be it... No Medical, no fuel and food deliveries, no heat, no water infrastructure... We are way to dependent on the grid already.
I think AI data centers should be using energy they are responsible for producing for themselves. That way residential and other commercial electric rate payers do not pay more due to AI data center demands. It also means the data centers do not lose power due to some issue with the grid near the data center.
I notieced here in Louisiana a data AI center is being built with two power plants built adjacent to it, and I think the same is going on in Texas. Texas went big for windmills in the past for some stupid reason, and I think Florida went big for solar power for the same reason.
If new power plants are not being built for each one, forget blackouts, there will be daily rationing for consumers.
I’m already off grid with a spring, plenty of wood stacked, and food cached to get by for years.
They want nuclear plants.
Now we’ll start having “Yes Nukes!” concerts.
I’d keep quiet about it, if I were you. Better have guns and ammo.
“It also means the data centers do not lose power due to some issue with the grid near the data center.”
Yeah because keeping AI up and going is much more important than humans or anything else...
“Cached” is the keyword here.
Now that’s funny.
It’s not about the data centers being more important than humans, Their operating with energy independence would be good for humans as well. Electricty rates for residential users and other commercial enterprises would not be impacted by the energy demands of the data centers. That would be a good thing.
The cost to be wise. Or, warm.
AI centers have been granted permission to generate their own electricity, so they won’t be on the grid.
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Which they will do mostly with gas turbines causing gas shortages to some homeowners during high demand periods in the winter.
Here is a question. If the utilities can not meet the demand during a high demand period then who do they cut off. Do they cut off the AI data centers or do they cut off residential consumers. I believe that they will keep AI on the line over residential consumers.
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