Special Reports

For decades, data centers have been essential infrastructure for IT expansion worldwide. However, the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 sparked a generative AI boom and a race to build infrastructure for GenAI model training and use. This AI training infrastructure requires more energy and more efficient cooling than typical IT infrastructure, which impacts data center design, requires new construction and makes access to electricity a key potential bottleneck for the growth of AI. As utilities struggle to determine how much energy data centers will require over the longer term, fears are mounting that infrastructure could be over-built and demand may not materialize.