(SAN RAMON) --- AI is a double-edged sword.
I should know. As the founder of OpGov.ai, an AI-assisted media outlet, I see how artificial intelligence offers extreme efficiency in reporting, truly changing the game in hyperlocal and breaking news.
However, while it also positively influences many other industries, it is also straining the electric grid, specifically in Contra Costa County. SB 1168, introduced by Senator Jerry McNerney in February, is one step toward assuring that energy-hungry data centers stop costing taxpayers.
The rise in cost became a concern last year, with the Public Broadcasting Service reporting “How AI infrastructure is driving a sharp rise in electricity” across the country. PBS asked Harvard Law School Electricity Law Initiative director Ari Peskoe just how high.
"I think there's a chance that A.I. is going to drive our bills even higher in the future. And there are a couple of reasons for that. One is that these facilities are using so much energy that utilities are building billions of dollars of infrastructure to support them and spreading those costs to all of us," according to Peskoe.
(Photo Credit: Pixels)
Peskoe confirms Contra Costa County, like other areas, has higher AI utility bills, saying "a lot of utilities have been replacing power lines on their aging systems and investing in new infrastructure, adding, "but different utilities are making different investment decisions, and that explains some of the disparity around the country."
As I researched rising AI utility costs, I found there are ways to reduce the strain on energy grids through specialized chips and cooling systems. On-site generation and storage also reduce costs by using battery and wind power during peak orders to assist the grid.
If elected, I vow to monitor real-time energy use and help create legislation to regulate it. Keeping AI data center utility costs down also aligns with my first campaign platform promise: to keep our district affordable.
My desire is that I lay out each of my campaign goals, and citizens will reach out with their ideas and opinions. I founded OpGov.news to amplify the community voice. My wish is to connect with residents now on what concerns them most, which is why I bring up the rising AI Infra costs, since they are seriously affecting Contra Costa constituents.
Please reach out to me so we can discuss this concern, among others. My other concerns are detailed on my campaign website Chiragforcommunity.com.
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