1.  Why a Google data center architect thinks AI energy fears are overblown

Learning: “In its latest World Energy Outlook, the agency implied that it isn’t actually that worried about the impact of AI-related data center demand on a macro scale, saying that it still only amounts to a small sliver of projected electricity growth across industry, electric vehicles, and heating and cooling.”

Implication: “Still, aggregate power demand is increasing steadily, partly because of ML and AI workloads. And there’s an open question about whether improved efficiency will enable faster expansion of the technology, fueling more data center expansion.”
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2. What Makes Amazon’s Big Nuclear Deal Different `

Learning: “There’s been a flurry of new deals between Big Tech and the nuclear industry, (however) Amazon is going one step further with its latest announcement.”

Implication: “Amazon is not just buying the power that a nuclear reactor will produce after it’s completed. It’s getting involved in the projects themselves.

This has not typically been how big tech companies with commitments to reduce emissions and rapidly expanding energy needs to power more data centers get involved with nuclear power.”

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3. Grid Modernization and DER planned to save Illinois electric customers $30 a month or $16 billion by 2050

Learning: “Lawmakers in Illinois have submitted a pair of bills… to support grid modernization and the encouragement of distributed energy resources like rooftop solar and battery energy storage.

The bills establish a clean energy storage procurement mandate, improving grid resilience while removing barriers to renewable energy resource development and grid interconnection. The pair of bills call for 8.5 GW of energy storage procurement across the state by 2050.”

Implication: “The proposed laws are expected to future-proof Illinois’ energy grid and economy, lower consumer costs, meet climate goals, create careers, and mitigate increasing risks of blackouts. The state has a goal of achieving 100% emissions-free electricity by 2050.”
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4. Texas solar project to power Google data centers

Learning: “SB Energy, backed by SoftBank Group, has launched the Orion Solar Belt in Texas. It comprises three solar farms with a combined capacity of 900 MW. These installations will power Google's data centers and cloud operations in the Dallas area. The project uses over 1.3 million American-made solar modules.”

Implication: “Google earlier this year announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in Texas to support its cloud and data center infrastructure. The company said the projects will help meet growing demand for Google Cloud and artificial intelligence, and the company’s other digital products and services such as Search, Maps, and Workspace. Google operates a data center campus in Midlothian and is building a new campus in Red Oak; both properties are in Ellis County in Texas.”

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5.  Houston-area researchers score $1.5M grant to develop storm response tech platform

Learning: “Researchers from Rice University have secured a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue their work on improving safety and resiliency of coastal communities plagued by flooding and hazardous weather.”
Implication: “The team is developing and hopes to deploy… OpenSafe.AI, a new platform that utilizes AI, data, and hazard and resilience models to provide timely, reliable and equitable insights to emergency response organizations and communities before, during and after tropical cyclones and coastal storm events.”