The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think
New York TimesJul 30, 2023
Report: AI, Aircon Driving Surge in Global Electricity Demand
Image copyright: Matthew T Rader via Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has reported that global demand for electricity is expected to increase by 4% in 2024, the third-fastest pace since 2007.
The analysis published on Friday highlights that record heat waves in 2024 — the warmest year on record worldwide — have driven up air conditioning demands and that generative artificial intelligence is ramping up data centers' energy needs.
The Spin
Narrative A
The push for renewables has lagged in the developing world, as the emerging markets want the same opportunity to develop as the West had. As climate change accelerates, the West needs to get real about the pros and cons of renewables and make it worthwhile for countries to switch. Anything other than massive grants shows how vacuous renewable proposals are.
Narrative B
Energy consumption and climate change are locked in a brutally vicious cycle: Emissions drive climate change, which leads to increasing demand for electricity from emission-spewing sources. Renewables offer us the chance to break that cycle. There won't be any need for power on a dead planet, so industries have voted with their wallets and dumped billions into renewable projects, showing how bright the future can be.