Can AI help solve the power problem it created?

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we cure disease, defend nations, and deliver goods. But the same technology driving this surge of innovation is also testing the limits of the system that supports it. Innovation is moving faster than infrastructure, and our energy strategy has to catch up.

It’s time to manage energy as a strategic asset. While AI is fueling demand at historic levels, it also gives us the tools to use power more intelligently, stabilize the grid, and unlock capacity we already have. If we work together, AI can turn today’s energy challenge into tomorrow’s competitive advantage.

INNOVATION IS OUTPACING THE GRID

AI is reshaping the global economy, but the grid powering it was not built for this reality. Much of America’s power infrastructure is aging, fragmented, and structurally behind modern digital demands. The result: interconnection queues, delayed projects, constrained communities, and a widening gap between the power we need and the power we can deliver.

This isn’t just a technology issue. It’s a national security issue. It’s a competitiveness issue. And, if we address it head-on, a generational opportunity.

We need to shift the conversation from how much power we use to how well we use it. AI enables efficiencies we couldn’t achieve before. But technology alone won’t solve the problem. Progress requires new ways of working and collaboration among utilities, regulators, operators, and government to modernize the grid and use limited resources more intelligently.

TURN POWER INTO AN ADVANTAGE

In the AI economy, doing more with less is a competitive advantage. AI enables:

• Accurate demand forecasting that prevents overbuilding and unused capacity
• Predictive maintenance that avoids unplanned outages
• Dynamic cooling and energy management that respond in real time to workloads and climate

Companies using these tools are building more resilient, cost-effective infrastructure that scales with demand, rather than chasing it.

Across industries, leaders are proving that smarter systems improve both performance and efficiency.

• Utilities use AI to balance real-time supply and demand.
• Retailers optimize logistics to cut energy waste.
• Hospitals coordinate equipment usage to reduce load.
• Manufacturers automate energy management across active and idle systems.

We have the tools to build the grid we need. But tools alone won’t meet the moment.

COLLABORATION IS THE POWER MULTIPLIER WE’RE MISSING

We can unlock years of trapped capacity if we break down the barriers between the organizations shaping the grid. Utilities, regulators, data center companies, and government all want the same outcome: reliable, resilient power that strengthens communities and supports economic growth. But historically we have worked in parallel instead of in partnership.

We need transparent planning. Aligned incentives. Shared data. And the willingness to sit at the same table to problem solve together.

We are entering an era where every kilowatt matters. AI gives us the tools to use energy smarter and to build a grid that’s cleaner, faster, and more resilient than the one we rely on today.

But technology can’t do this alone. People and policies must enable it.

If we break down silos between the public and private sectors, align around shared interests, and treat energy as a strategic asset, we can solve the power problem and build a strong foundation to support the next century of innovation.

The opportunity is right in front of us, if we choose to take it together.

Chris Crosby is CEO of Compass Datacenters.

source https://www.fastcompany.com/91466299/can-ai-help-solve-the-power-problem-it-created