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Power demand from US data centers will double by 2030, per the IEA

Coal and natural gas will still meet the majority of the increasing electricity demand going forward.

4/14/25 6:46AM

According to a report from the International Energy Agency published last week, electricity demand from data centers is forecast to double by the end of the decade, as Big Tech goes even bigger on AI ambitions and infrastructure spending.

The power surge is particularly pronounced across the US, which is responsible for nearly half of the unprecedented electricity demand. That all trickles down to driving demand for fossil fuel plants even further, with natural gas currently supplying 40% of data center electricity demand in the US. According to the latest projections, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Energy sources for data centers chart — Sherwood News

Power plays

With a greater demand for gas-powered energy generation, some Big Oil producers, like Exxon and Chevron, are eyeing opportunities to design plants with the sole purpose of supplying AI data centers directly. Meanwhile, companies like Meta and Microsoft are making moves to pivot to nuclear energy. However, some of the proposed agreements are years off, with many expected to start commissioning after 2030, per the IEA report.

Of course, many of the mega-investment plans were drawn up before tariff uncertainty started squeezing the world of business and Big Tech. Proposed levies on key components and equipment, manufactured in tariff-struck countries like China, could seriously impact tech giants’ plans to spend hundreds of billions on huge data centers moving forward. Microsoft reportedly delayed and canceled projects across the world even before the latest tariffs were announced.

Rani Molla

9/2/25

Google soars on court ruling that doesn’t force the search giant to sell Chrome

Google has $26 billion in deals with companies like Samsung and Apple.

Max Knoblauch

8/21/25

Hertz falls, erasing its Amazon bump, as Congress looks into its AI damage scanners

Hertz shares are trading down more than 5% on Thursday.

Max Knoblauch

8/20/25

Airbus faces a 10-day strike from UK workers, mirroring Boeing’s labor strife

Thousands of UK union Airbus workers plan to strike for 10 days in September amid a contract dispute.

The union workers build wings for Airbus’ commercial jets, threatening a production slowdown for the European plane maker.

As Airbus’ labor tension builds, rival Boeing’s has already boiled over: earlier this month, more than 3,000 Boeing workers who build military aircraft started a strike that remains ongoing. The action came less than a year after the company faced a two-month stoppage from a machinist strike.

Airbus, for now, says it doesn’t see the strikes affecting full-year deliveries.

Airbus UK workers to strike for 10 days over pay

Airbus, for now, says it doesn’t see the strikes affecting full-year deliveries.

Rani Molla

8/20/25

Elon Musk’s political party isn’t happening, as Tesla CEO gives up on the “America Party”

In July, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced his own political party, the America Party — a move intended to “give you back your freedom.” What it did at the time was invoke the wrath of President Donald Trump and send the stock down.

A month and a half later, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Musk is “pumping the brakes” on his third party.

According to the Journal, “Musk has told allies that he wants to focus his attention on his companies and is reluctant to alienate powerful Republicans by starting a third party that could siphon off GOP voters.” He also wants to maintain ties with Vice President JD Vance, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate for 2028.

What happened?

For one, earlier this month Tesla’s board approved a roughly $30 billion interim pay package that Musk will only realize if he remains at the company for two years.

The stock isn’t moving on the news so far, but investors and analysts typically see Musk’s focus on his public company as a good thing.

Exclusive | Elon Musk Pledged to Start a Political Party. He Is Already Pumping the Brakes.

What happened?

For one, earlier this month Tesla’s board approved a roughly $30 billion interim pay package that Musk will only realize if he remains at the company for two years.

The stock isn’t moving on the news so far, but investors and analysts typically see Musk’s focus on his public company as a good thing.

Nexstar, the US’s largest local TV broadcaster, is looking to get bigger with a $6.2 billion megamerger

TV broadcaster Nexstar plans to merge with smaller rival Tegna, testing the Trump administration’s consolidation appetite.

Max Knoblauch8/19/25