AI Wants Infinite Compute and America Said Nah We're Out of Power
5.99 gigawatts — that’s all the US managed to build in new data centers this year, DOWN from 6.35GW in 2024, while every CEO is on stage yelling “AI!” like it’s Beetlejuice.
This is the first drop since 2020, which is hilarious because the pitch was “the future runs on clouds” and then the cloud showed up demanding a transformer and the grid started crying.
Developers keep talking about “accelerating digital infrastructure” and “meeting unprecedented demand.”
Translation
we promised you infinite compute and then remembered electricity is a real thing, not a SaaS subscription.
Permits are dragging, power hookups are bottlenecked, and locals are treating new data centers like they’re trying to build a casino next to an elementary school. “Not in my backyard” has evolved into “not in my zip code, you loud humming tax-abatement goblins.”
The Number
5.99GW — enough to power millions of homes, and we’re burning it so a chatbot can write a breakup text and a hedge fund can shave 4 milliseconds off insider trading with vibes.
Meanwhile, the AI boom is still real. Nvidia’s chips still sell like pandemic toilet paper, Big Tech still wants “AI everywhere,” and your boss still thinks “automation” means your job is a rounding error.
Translation
the winners are whoever controls power, land, and permits — utilities, landlords with substations, and the local governments that can be bribed with “jobs” (read: 12 security guards and a fence).
You, though? You get higher power bills, more grid strain, and a front-row seat to the richest companies on Earth discovering the same problem as your 2003 apartment: the wiring can’t handle it.
The Bottom Line
AI isn’t hitting a tech wall — it’s getting mugged in a dark alley by zoning boards and the electrical grid.
TLDR
Data center builds fell to 5.99GW even as everyone screams AI, because permits, local backlash, and “lol where’s the power” just turned infinite compute into a waiting list.
The app is coming.
6 AI-powered games daily, audio narration, push alerts, and the smoothest news experience on your phone. Launching soon on iOS.
iOS App Coming SoonWant this in your inbox?
Free daily briefing every morning.