HomeAsk MIT ClimateData centers and the race to power AI (part 2)
Ask MIT ClimateData centers and the race to power AI (part 2)

16 min . Oct 8, 2026 . Adaptation and Resilience    Climate Science    Energy, Climate & Sustainability

In the first half of our two-parter on data centers and the U.S. energy system, we dug into the challenges that these huge, concentrated electricity users pose for communities and power grids. In this second installment, Prof. Costa Samaras of Carnegie Mellon University and Dr. Vijay Gadepally of MIT return to talk through some of the options on the table for responding to these challenges. And we explore how our choices fit into the bigger picture of tackling climate change, as data centers’ growing electricity needs meet those of electric vehicles, heat pumps and clean manufacturing.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/e11-data-centers-and-race-power-ai-part-2.

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