As AI and Electrification Expand Energy Demand, Community-Scale Systems May Help Keep Value Local

Source: International Business Times

Unsplash Energy demand is entering a period of significant expansion as artificial intelligence, electrification, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure require increasing amounts of power. The scale of that demand is prompting substantial investment in generation and transmission, while also raising a broader question about how the economic value created by an expanding energy system reaches the communities supplying its land, resources, labor, and infrastructure. A 2026 analysis from Global Energy Monitor illustrates the scale of the emerging demand.