Austin, TX
AI could strain Texas power grid this summer
Texas is no stranger to power-grid anxiety. Between the heat that’s only getting hotter, an aging fleet of power plants, and the challenges of integrating renewable energy, the system is fragile.
Now, a boom in energy-hungry computer data centers is adding a new element of risk this summer.
“How many are coming? That’s still TBD, but we know that they are explosively growing,” ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, told lawmakers in one of two hearings this month at the state capitol.
Vegas said many of those centers mine crypto currency. But more and more of them are being built to support artificial intelligence systems. They are drawn to the state thanks to low energy costs, minimal regulation and a booming economy. But they use a lot of energy.
“If you do a google search and just look up ‘What is ERCOT?’ If you did that with a regular google system versus an AI google search, the amount of energy that it takes to run the AI search, is between 10 and 30 times the power requirement than to do a traditional google search,” Vegas said.
Many estimates you find online appear to be on the lower end of that spectrum. But it’s clear that Texas, in particular, could find that growing energy demand challenging.
Ever since a deadly blackout in 2021, state officials have worked to strengthen the power grid. They’ve started programs to subsidize new power plants and improve transmission lines.
But, those things take years to build. Data centers — some that use as much energy as small cities — can be built in just a matter of months. That is a serious challenge for grid operators, says Doug Lewin, who publishes the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter.
“How do we build enough infrastructure to accommodate a new city popping up in six months, with effectively no notice?” he asks.
The answer: maybe you don’t.
Renee Dominguez
/
KUT News
‘The most worrisome thing’
State officials have long declared Texas “open for business.” Reveling in each victory as they lured things like Tesla’s new gigafactory and Samsung’s new microchip plant to the state.
But now, some wonder whether data centers are worth it.
Cryptomines and data centers “produce very few jobs compared to the incredible demands they place on our grid,” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the hearings. “Texans will ultimately pay the price.”
State lawmakers, likewise, peppered this month’s hearings with questions about whether the state could put the brakes on data center growth, or compel the companies to pay for their increased energy transmission needs.
“That’s sort of wild to think about,” Lewin said. “That’s a huge, huge break from the way things have been done.”
Assuming that cryptomines and data centers are here to stay, grid operators say they would like new rules to allow them to better monitor the facilities’ energy use and potentially control it.
Despite recent legislation compelling cryptomines to register with ERCOT, Vegas told members of the House State Affairs Committee that about half of companies still have not.
“On legislation […] what would be more helpful for ERCOT is to have more visibility to what these large loads are doing,” he said. “And so a good place to start could be making sure we can track and even potentially control the [energy] loads of cryptos.”
At a recent ERCOT board of directors meeting, Dan Woodfin, the group’s vice president of system operations, said the inability to forecast energy use by crypto mines and similar big power consumers was “the most worrisome thing” going into this summer.
ERCOT puts the chance of rolling blackouts at around 12% in August.
Demand is outpacing supply
In the electricity business, what Vegas proposes — reducing energy use by certain users at certain times — is often called a “demand side” solution to grid challenges.
The idea is that you can strengthen the grid more cheaply and quickly by lowering energy consumption rather than increasing supply.
“We cannot build the grid fast enough to keep up with demand… Even before we had every damned crypto and data center … move to Texas,” Alison Silverstein, a consultant and former state and federal energy official, told KUT.
Texas currently consumes more energy than any other state. Silverstein has long advocated for increasing energy efficiency standards in the state to help bolster the energy system.
A recent study from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy says improving efficiency standards in Texas would be a more economical way of reducing high energy demand in the summer and winter to strengthen the grid.
Silverstein says it would not only mean people need less power to cool their homes, run their appliances and do business, it would also go a long way toward keeping the lights on.
But lawmakers and regulators have traditionally balked at improving efficiency in Texas, a state known for producing energy not conserving it.
Silverstein says that may be changing, as the challenges of rapidly increasing energy demand become clearer to those in charge of the Texas power system.
At one recent hearing ERCOT’s Vegas referred to efficiency and demand response as an essential tool in keeping the Texas grid stable.
Silverstein says the question is whether that rhetoric will turn into state policy.
“That’s when we’ll know that they really mean it in terms of demand-side solutions, and it’s not just hand waving,” she says.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
AUSTIN, Texas — With heavy rain expected across parts of Central Texas this week and flooding top of mind, the city of Austin is proposing to put more money toward flood mitigation improvements in next year’s budget.
The proposal would invest in new flood infrastructure, add staff, and help move flood mitigation projects forward, according to city leaders. Austin City Councilmember Ryan Alter said the investments are aimed at keeping the city prepared for future flooding.
Residents who live near waterways say they have seen how quickly conditions can change. David Haderspeck, who lives near Shoal Creek, said the creek “fills up pretty fast” and “gets a lot higher than you’d expect.” He said he has watched the water rise dramatically after rain.
“I’ve seen it come up probably 10 to 15 feet to the ordinary high-water mark,” he said.
This week, parts of Central Texas, including the Hill Country, are expected to get heavy downpours. While Austin is not expecting the same impacts as parts of the Hill Country, leaders said the city is using this year’s budget planning to continue investing in flood safety.
Alter said the city has the expertise to address flooding risks but needs to follow through on projects.
ALSO| Central Texas urged to prepare as heavy rainfall sits in forecast over next two days
“We have the experts. We just have to put the plans into practice, and that’s what we’re doing in this budget,” he said.
Under the budget proposal, the city would provide about $134.5 million for the Drainage Utility Fund, which helps pay for flood mitigation, drainage infrastructure and watershed protection efforts.
Alter said the proposal would shift more of the funding balance toward building new infrastructure.
“What we’re going to do is shift that balance a little bit more to building new infrastructure so that when we do have large flooding events, we’ve got that infrastructure in place to keep people safe,” he said.
The proposal also adds staff and invests in both new and existing flood mitigation projects across the city.
Asked whether the proposed investments would be enough moving forward, Alter said, “I do…I think we’re doing the right thing and just making sure that our residents have the infrastructure to stay safe.”
Alter said heavy rain cannot be prevented, but the city’s goal is to have infrastructure in place to help keep people safe when it happens.
FILE – LinkedIn logos are displayed on an iPhone and computer screen. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Attorney General’s office has opened an investigation into LinkedIn over allegations that the professional networking platform misleads consumers with advertising and profiting from misleading or fake job listings, otherwise known as “ghost jobs.”
LinkedIn investigation
In this photo illustration a Linkedin logo seen displayed on a mobile phone. (Photo Illustration by Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
What we know:
Texas announced on Tuesday it has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) seeking documents, data and internal communications related to LinkedIn’s advertising, marketing, job listing verification practices and its Premium subscription services.
The investigation centers on whether LinkedIn violated Texas’ consumer protection laws by promoting paid subscription services while allegedly failing to disclose that some job listings on the platform may not actually be representative of hiring opportunities.
What is a ‘ghost job’?
An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of a LinkedIn logo displayed on a computer screen. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft and the world’s largest professional networking platform, with more than 1 billion registered users worldwide.
A “ghost job” generally refers to a position advertised online that either is no longer available or that an employer has no immediate intention of filling. The attorney general’s office cited independent studies estimating that ghost jobs account for between one-fifth and one-third of online job postings.
Texas AG targets Premium Subscription Fees
Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
What they’re saying:
According to the office of the attorney general, LinkedIn does not independently verify the hiring status of most job listings on its platform. Ken Paxton’s office alleges that the company’s marketing for its Premium subscription services does not disclose that a significant number of postings could be inactive, unfilled or not reflect genuine employment opportunity.
“I will use every resource available to my office to help job-seeking Texans find and secure real employment opportunities,” Paxton said in a statement. “LinkedIn has a duty to provide the services it advertises and ensure that consumers paying for Premium subscriptions are receiving access to legitimate job postings.”
Texas officials said LinkedIn’s Premium Career and Premium Business subscriptions cost about $39.99 and $69.99 per month, respectively, and are marketed to jobseekers looking to improve their employment prospects.
What’s next:
The investigation does not include any formal allegations of wrongdoing, and no lawsuit has been filed.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
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