According to Amazon, AI will accelerate the energy transition – not slow it down

Across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, utility planners are warning of what grid operator PJM Interconnection is calling a “unique” surge in electricity demand. Data centers, fueled largely by the rapid growth of generative AI — a type of artificial intelligence that can create original text and images — could double electricity consumption in some states by the end of the decade. Grid officials fear the surge could overwhelm clean energy development, limit utilities to supporting fossil fuels and slow the global push toward decarbonization.

But Amazon sees it differently. In discussions with his sustainability team, a convincing thesis emerged: Artificial…