The energy sector in North American countries could face serious problems due to cryptocurrency mining and artificial intelligence.
According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), electricity consumption is expected to rise to new highs in the coming years. And it is difficult to predict consumption in advance.
The fact is that electricity consumption during cryptocurrency mining often depends on the market prices of the digital assets being mined. The energy consumption of AI data centers is also affected by their load, which can be unstable. All this, according to NERC representatives, complicates the management of power grids and leads to unplanned network overloads.
Projected Power Shortage in North America
The active development of mining and artificial intelligence is already having a negative impact on the stability and reliability of power grids, especially during peak periods. Thus, the authorities of the American Texas, where many mining companies and data processing centers operate, reported problems with the supply of electricity.
To cope with power surges, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has adopted an energy response program and strengthened distributed energy management. NERC officials are calling for similar measures to be taken across North America.
