By David Dierking, The Motley Fool
Publication Date: 2026-08-25 09:40:00
Nvidia has been the face of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. But everybody already knows that.
They also know about Microsoft, Alphabet, and Micron Technology. They’ve all been huge winners already. Investors are now looking for the next big AI winner. But it might not be the one they expected.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Artificial intelligence needs enormous amounts of electricity. And the Vanguard Utilities ETF (NYSEMKT: VPU) could offer investors a different way to profit from the AI boom.
Image source: Getty Images.
AI has an enormous power problem
Building an AI model requires advanced semiconductor chips. Running those chips requires data centers. And data centers require staggering amounts of electricity. That’s quickly becoming one of the industry’s biggest constraints.
For example, Nvidia just agreed to provide more than $100 billion to support OpenAI’s new Ohio data center project. The site is expected to reach 8 gigawatts of capacity eventually. That’s an enormous amount of power from a single data center. But it’s becoming an increasingly common trend.
AI companies can buy all the GPUs they want. But those chips aren’t going to be particularly useful without enough electricity to run them.
