AI data centers waste 42 million kilowatts of energy daily; recapture technology exists but goes unused
By
Joshua Smith
A five-star bake. Worth schmearing, sharing, saving.
Summary
Data centers powering the AI boom are wasting massive amounts of energy—42 million kilowatts daily, enough to power America's 13 largest cities. The article argues that simple, commercially proven technology exists to recapture this wasted energy and pay for itself quickly, but the industry is failing to implement it. The cost of inaction for affected communities is too high to ignore.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledEvery day global data centers discard 42 million kilowatts of energy, enough to simultaneously power America's 13 largest cities all day long, from New York City to Seattle.
Poof! All of that energy, gone, every single day.
The technology to recapture that energy is simple, commercially proven over decades and pays for itself quickly.
The cost of inaction in communities affected by AI data centers is too high to ignore.
You might also wanna read

Data Center Expansion Questioned: AI Chip Weight Drives Infrastructure Challenges
The article discusses the rapid expansion of data centers globally, particularly in the US where they quadrupled from 2010 to 2024. It highl
Gas-Powered Data Centers for AI Could Emit 129 Million Tons of CO2 Annually, Surpassing Morocco's Emissions
A WIRED investigation reveals that natural gas projects powering just 11 data center campuses in the US—built to serve AI companies like Ope
Big Tech's A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills for Everyone
AI Data Centers in Washington State Drain Millions of Gallons of Freshwater Daily, Strain Local Resources
Washington state's 126 AI data centers are consuming millions of gallons of freshwater daily for cooling, draining local water resources and
Google Releases First-Ever Data on AI Prompt Energy Consumption
Google has released unprecedented data on the energy consumption of AI prompts, marking the first time a major AI company has disclosed such
AI Data Centers Turn to Onsite Power Generation Amid Grid Capacity Crisis
The article analyzes the growing power crisis facing AI data centers and explores onsite power generation solutions as an alternative to tra
