That is what economists predict will happen. I don’t think that is exactly how it plays out given availability of solutions/veracity of entrepreneurs, etc.
But yes, you go after the fastest payback solutions first and keep eating away at demand. We have not had that posture since the 1970s.
The White House wants data centers to "pay their own way" on energy. But what does that mean?
New Open Circuit with @stephenlacey.bsky.social, @jigarshahdc.bsky.social & Caroline Golin unpacks three competing visions for powering AI.
🎥 https://bit.ly/4csZtm8
#EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy
Here is some good data:
elements.visualcapitalist.com/where-chines...
Having a catalyst from the oil market volatility is moving folks faster.
"the long-standing playbook advanced by Amory Lovins and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): don’t fight oil directly. Get more out of each barrel through efficiency, electrification, and better system design until demand structurally disappears."
You are seeing a coordinated effort across 50 countries to destroy oil demand.
linkedin.com/pulse/how-ch...
The Northeast uses LNG seasonally, just in the WInter. Their costs go up, but not materially on an annual basis.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest NG producer, so it’s more insulated from spiking LNG prices. LNG export terminals are already near full capacity, so exports can’t increase dramatically overnight.
This is why US Utilities want to diversify from more NG dependence than they already have.
This is a physical oil disruption, much worse than COVID. US is a large oil producer now but oil prices are up 21% and gasoline prices up 10% already.
www.devdiscourse.com/article/head...
This is exactly what we discussed on the @energyempire.bsky.social with James Gutman. People are accelerating plans to reduce oil imports to reach Energy Sovereignty.
"What incentive does the US have to protect LNG carriers in the Strait of Hormuz? Actually… none."
Listen to the latest episode of Energy Empire with James Gutman, Co-author of The New Joule Order. 🎙️
@jigarshahdc.bsky.social
Jigar Shah's investment banker called him after the Iran strikes.
The message? Every solar company just doubled in value.
The best energy security isn't protecting supply chains across the world — it's not needing them.
@jigarshahdc.bsky.social
21. Everyone is defining long-duration storage technology wrong. It's not about 6 or 8 hours — you can do that with lithium-ion and probably would — it's about having the capex to add more GWh of capacity decoupled from the capex of adding more GW.
Europe is one of the great deliberative bodies in the World today.
"Yes it is hard compromising, it is hard negotiating mutually beneficial solutions so that everyone can have more"
Europe is ready to make hard decisions on energy and defense.
www.energyempire.fm/why-the-war-...
1/ The debate over the proposed Google data center in Hermantown doesn’t have to be framed as growth vs. community. There’s a smarter path: distributed capacity procurement + behind-the-meter batteries. 🧵
This is really interesting for a bunch of reasons - this is one of the few projects proposing as much clean power as the site will consume, but as Jigar points out, centralised wind/solar/storage doesn't feel as integrated into the community as smaller decentralised stuff
Jigar Shah describes how large loads (data centers) could be good community partners and reduce electricity bills for everyone. There is a right way to do this, and batteries are key.
Many commercial customers, churches, schools and residences want batteries. Just pay what you would have to the utility scale guys to the distributed folks. If there is a delta the business/homeowner will have to cover that. You will find that 15% of homeowners already have a backup generator…
It this gives protestors an “ask” and this utility is better run and more responsive than any other in the area
10/ If communities are going to host 21st-century infrastructure, the model should be 21st-century too: flexible, distributed, resilient.
Distributed capacity + behind-the-meter storage = a social license to operate.
9/ For Hermantown, that could mean property tax stability + distributed clean energy growth — not one at the expense of the other.
8/ Politically, this changes the story. Instead of “big tech taking power,” it becomes “big tech funding local resilience and upgrading the grid.”
7/ This approach lowers transmission buildout, reduces ratepayer risk, and keeps more investment local. It’s infrastructure that communities can actually see and benefit from.
Instead of just creating construction jobs, residents see resilience in their community.
6/ During extreme weather, those batteries can discharge to support the grid — turning a perceived “grid burden” into a strategic reserve for the Utility grid.
5/ Add behind-the-meter battery storage at the data center itself. Batteries reduce peak demand, lower grid stress, and provide backup power during outages.
This is paired with a move to an 800V DC architecture to reduce flitter and other power quality issues on the grid.
4/ What does that mean? The data center funds local community and residential storage projects — spreading economic benefit across homes, schools, and small businesses instead of putting all 400 MWs in one place. Distributed storage reduces the cost of distribution grid costs as well.
3/ Instead of relying solely on new centralized generation or grid upgrades, require the project to procure distributed capacity within the local utility footprint.
2/ Large data centers like those built by Google bring tax base — but residents worry about grid strain, land use, and infrastructure costs. Those concerns are legitimate. Large loads done right can reduce electricity bills for everyone.
