This podcast interviews Michelle Solomon, a senior policy analyst at Energy Innovation, about the surging U.S. electricity demand driven by data centers and AI. The discussion covers the challenges of meeting this demand, contrasting the rapid growth with the slower pace of traditional utility infrastructure development. Solomon advocates for prioritizing faster, cleaner energy solutions like solar, wind, and battery storage, highlighting the potential for grid efficiency improvements and co-locating data centers with renewable energy sources. She expresses concern over potential policy shifts favoring fossil fuels, emphasizing that clean energy is often the most cost-effective option. A key takeaway is the significant potential for improving grid efficiency through load flexibility in data centers and utilizing existing infrastructure more effectively.
