It’s not hard to sense that something extraordinary is happening in the United States. A belief that digital technology is nonessential may be making way for a new measure of its worth — the idea that it is playing a significant role in bolstering the nation’s economy.
The evidence can be found in the vast computer-server farms that move and store data and activate everything from smartphones to laptops and digital TVs and make up the backbone of what’s called “in the cloud,” providing digital services such as streaming, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
It can be found in smart manufacturing, in which advances in computerized technology have revolutionized the fabrication of products, ranging from implants for hip joints and teeth to lighter and stronger aircraft parts.
Some products are made from computer-engineered materials that did not exist 10 years ago.
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However, there needs to be a discussion about the fast-growing electricity demand — in particular, for the more than 2,500 warehouse-size data centers nationwide, the biggest infrastructures ever built, each requiring as much as 500 megawatts of electricity, the amount of power used by a large steel mill.
Meanwhile, the erosion of grid reliability has fueled debate about whether the United States can produce enough electricity to run the data centers and keep pace with the fast-growing energy needs of the digital economy. The more pressing question is whether the United States can afford to shut down coal plants since many utilities have encountered electricity demand levels they did not project for a decade.
The situation was brought home forcefully in October when the organization responsible for overseeing the nation’s electricity reliability warned there might not be enough electricity supply to meet rising demand. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. said in its long-term reliability assessment that large parts of the country are vulnerable to power shortages this winter. Should that happen, blackouts could incapacitate data centers that are the foundation of the digital economy.
Paradoxically, the Environmental Protection Agency is forcing the shutdown of coal plants that provide much base load power. Never mind that the need for energy is projected to rise sharply in the years ahead not only to meet…
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