"Utilities are privy to information about energy use from data centers in their region; they use that information to forecast growth. However, data centers will often shop around to different utilities, which causes utilities to double-count projects and forecast 'phantom' growth."
"The CEO of Vistra stated that utilities may be inflating electricity demand anywhere from three to five times beyond what is actually needed, highlighting the discrepancies in demand forecasting."
"The EIA announced a voluntary pilot program to collect energy consumption information from nearly 200 companies operating data centers, which will cover various metrics including energy sources and electricity consumption."
"Senators emphasized that without accurate data, policymakers, utility companies, and local communities are operating in the dark, stressing the need for transparency in energy consumption."
Utilities have access to energy use data from regional data centers, which they use for growth forecasting. However, data centers often switch utilities, resulting in double-counting and inflated demand projections. The CEO of Vistra indicated that utilities might overestimate electricity demand by three to five times. The EIA plans to collect energy consumption data from nearly 200 data center companies to provide objective analysis for policymakers. Senators have raised questions about the EIA's data collection methods and the importance of accurate data for accountability among Big Tech companies.
Read at Ars Technica
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