The power needs of artificial intelligence and cloud computing are growing so large that individual data center campuses could soon use more electricity than some cities, and even entire U.S. states, according to companies developing the facilities.
Now, with the advent of artificial intelligence, data centers are growing so large that finding enough power to drive them and enough suitable land to house them will become increasingly difficult, the developers say.
Technology companies are in a "race of a lifetime to global dominance" in artificial intelligence, said Ali Fenn, president of Lancium, a company that secures land and power for data centers in Texas.
Beyond VirginiaAs land and power grow more limited, data centers are expanding into new markets outside the long-established global hub in northern Virginia, Sahlstrom said.
The privately-held company is working with utilities to secure up to 1.8 gigawatts of power for the site to support as many as 40 individual data centers.
Persons:
Ali Fenn, Nat Sahlstrom, Sahlstrom, Phoenix —
Organizations:
Technology, Phoenix, CNBC, Department of Energy, Bureau
Locations:
U.S, Pittsburgh, Texas, Denver, Virginia, Maricopa County , Arizona, Storey County , Nevada, Reno, Buckeye , Arizona