AI data centers are consuming so much electricity that US utilities are keeping coal-fired power plants running instead of retiring them, reversing a decade-long trend of decline. US data center consumption, which reached approximately 176 TWh in 2023, could surge to between 345 and 580 TWh by 2028-2030. In response, the Department of Energy ordered more than 17 gigawatts of coal capacity to remain online in 2025, and at least 15 plants have seen their retirements postponed. US power sector CO2 emissions thus rose by 4% in 2025. This dynamic threatens to drive up electricity costs for crypto miners, who compete directly with hyperscalers for access to cheap power.
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