Comment by 0cf8612b2e1e

7 hours ago

To be fair, for decades, electricity consumption has been mostly flat. There has not been a need to massively ramp up new generation or distribution. It is only in the last few years that such mega consumers have come online that is requiring new development at a frantic pace.

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0cf8612b2e1e

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fc417fc802  7 hours ago

Not true. Electric vehicles have been threatening to collapse residential grids for quite a few years now. The US hasn't been making the necessary infrastructure investments for a long time. See PG&E for example.

  • 0cf8612b2e1e  7 hours ago

    For something the size of the electrical grid, you can find regional variations, but the national trend is quite clear. One report from a quick search[0]

      Consumption Growth Acceleration: After 14 years of near-stagnant growth (0.1% annually from 2008-2021), US electricity consumption surged 3.0% in 2024, driven by data centers, electric vehicles, and economic recovery, signaling a new era of demand growth.

    [0] https://solartechonline.com/blog/how-much-electricity-does-u...

    • fc417fc802  6 hours ago

      TBF multiple things can be true. A period of stagnation, a failure to perform sufficient upkeep, and a failure to keep up with new demand.