OpenAI is lobbying the Biden administration for major data centre infrastructure throughout the United States. These ambitious data centres would each consume as much electricity as an entire city. OpenAI argues this massive growth is essential to advance artificial intelligence capabilities and gain a competitive edge over China.
Post a meeting in the White House involving OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, and other technology leaders, the start-up shared a document with government representatives that laid out the economic and national security advantages of building 5-gigawatt data centres across different U.S. states. This was derived from a study conducted alongside external experts. To illustrate, a single 5GW data centre has the equivalent power capacity of five nuclear reactors and could power almost 3 million homes.
OpenAI stated that such investments would lead to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs, an uplift in the GDP, and would ensure the U.S. retains its lead in AI development. Achieving this, the document states, would hinge heavily on the U.S. government’s implementation of policies supportive of more data centre capacity.
Throughout the year, Altman has been on a mission to create an international coalition of investors willing to finance the expensive infrastructure needed for swift AI development, whilst also seeking approval from the U.S. government for the project. The specifics concerning the energy requirements of the data centres that OpenAI, under Altman’s leadership, are advocating for have not been disclosed until now.
OpenAI’s spokesman has affirmed their active efforts towards enhancing AI infrastructure in the U.S., arguing that it’s paramount to keeping the U.S. at the helm of global innovation, fueling nationwide reindustrialisation and democratising the benefits of AI.
The initiative comes at a challenging time as the U.S. energy projects face delays due to difficulties connecting to grids, permit delays, supply chain issues and labour shortages. Energy executives warned that even a single 5-gigawatt data centre would pose difficulty.
Constellation Energy’s CEO, Joe Dominguez, has heard that Altman is contemplating the construction of 5 to 7 data centres, each with a power capacity of 5GW. However, the document shared with the White House does not specify a certain number. The source who is acquainted with the situation reveals that OpenAI aspires to concentrate on a single data centre initially, with potential plans to expand in the future.
Dominguez, an experienced engineer, expressed his skepticism regarding a certain matter, stating not only its novelty but also questioned its feasibility. He is not confident it could be successfully implemented within a timeframe that satisfies national security requirements and adequate timing.
The United States boasts a noteworthy 96GW installed capacity of nuclear power. In a recent turn of events, tech heavyweight Microsoft, who is a principal investor in OpenAI, clinched a deal with Constellation, a nuclear provider. The agreement entails that Constellation will restart the previously closed-down Three Mile Island facility to supply Microsoft with nuclear power over a 20-year span.
Previously in June, NextEra Energy’s CEO, John Ketchum, disclosed that several tech firms, which he did not name, have contacted the clean-energy titan asking for potential locations capable of supporting a 5GW demand. This energy demand would necessitate a blend of new wind and solar farms, battery storage, and a grid connection. The power required is equivalent to what the city of Miami consumes, Ketchum mentioned. He also added that although searching for a site that can accommodate 5GW could prove challenging, there still exist spots within the US capable of fitting one gigawatt. – Bloomberg