AI needs a lot of electricity — oil and gas will help

Global energy demand is projected to surge in coming years amid the growth of artificial intelligence, which requires massive amounts of electricity.

The Wall Street Journal reported that big tech companies’ “obsession” with finding enough energy to power the AI boom was the talk of CERA Week by S&P Global last month.

America’s electric grid will need a major boost to power the rapid rise in data centers popping up across the country, and despite the push for renewables, there is growing skepticism that wind and solar energy sources will be able to keep up with the demand. Now, there is a renewed look at old-faithful: fossil fuels. 

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The Financial Times reported this week that producers believe the AI revolution will “usher in a golden era for natural gas,” with one executive telling the outlet, “Gas is the only cost-efficient energy generation capable of providing the type of 24/7 reliable power required by the big technology companies to power the AI boom.”

But what if AI helps find more energy to power itself?

Phil Flynn, an energy market analyst and FOX Business contributor, says AI will substantially impact the U.S. oil and gas industry not only by increasing efficiency in finding oil, but by assisting in producing it in cleaner ways.

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“Artificial intelligence will take a lot of the guesswork away from mapping fields, and we should be able to pinpoint specific areas to drill where we can get the maximum amount of oil for the least amount of carbon emissions,” Flynn said. 

He noted that there is even talk about using nuclear reactors to help power drilling operations, which would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the production of oil and natural gas.

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“There are so many ways that AI can improve U.S. oil and gas efficiency,” Flynn reiterated. “Already, the US oil and gas industry has used extensive computer programs to map underground reservoirs, [which] artificial intelligence can improve upon. It could also improve, of course, on efficient ways to drill.”