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AI data centers could be ‘distorting’ the US power grid

The proliferation of data centers aiming to meet the computational needs of AI could be bad news for the US power grid, according to a new report in

In other words, there appears to be a link between data center proximity and “bad harmonics” — a term for the less-than-ideal flow of electrical power into homes. Bloomberg says this “distorted” power could eventually destroy plugged-in appliances, increase vulnerability to electrical fires, and even lead to brownouts and blackouts. A spokesperson for Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison told Bloomberg the utility “strongly questions the accuracy and underlying assumptions of Whisker Lab’s claims.”

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