Rising AI power usage challenges zero emission goals

Dominion is still transitioning from coal to gas, which among other efforts has allowed the company to cut its carbon emissions by more than half since 2005. — Bloomberg

NEW YORK: The boom in power demand from data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) is creating a conflict between maintaining a reliable grid and cutting carbon emissions, according to the head of Dominion Energy Inc.

“There’s a little bit of tension there because there’s not a lot of opportunities” in the near term to build zero-emissions generation that can be adjusted to match supply and consumption, chief executive officer Bob Blue said.