According to a report from Cointelegraph on December 24, the latest report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) shows that the rapid development of cryptocurrency mining and AI data centers is driving electricity demand to new highs in North America. For example, in Texas, the annual growth rate during the summer peak of 2029 is expected to reach 4.6%, which is four times the previous forecast.
NERC pointed out that the electricity consumption of crypto mining fluctuates with market prices, while AI data centers require continuous cooling and storage energy, adding instability that poses challenges for grid management. To address this trend, Texas has implemented energy response programs and strengthened distributed energy management through HB 3390, and some mining companies like MARA have also begun to shift to renewable energy.