TECH - NextEra's Boss Says AI Is Going To Shoot Up Our Electric Bills By 81% | Benzinga
NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE) CEO John Ketchum has made a bold prediction about the future of the U.S. electricity market, citing the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a major driving force.
What Happened: Ketchum, speaking at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, forecasted an 81% surge in electricity demand over the next five years, reported Bloomberg on Monday. This surge is expected to be driven by AI, electrification, cloud capacity, and chip factories.
Ketchum said, "What you have today is electric demand that has been relatively flat for years now, all of a sudden looking at an 81% increase" over the next five years.
This rapid increase in demand could further strain power grids, which are already under pressure due to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.
Ketchum also predicted a significant increase in renewable energy generation, estimating a threefold or more rise to 370 to 450 gigawatts.
See Also: Elon Musk Reacts After Ex-CNN Anchor Allegedly Demanded Tesla Cybertruck, $5M ...