Chevron is ready to burn gas to power on AI

At this point, many people know that the use of generative AI tools leads to consumption of tons of waterS But if this was not enough of the environmental impact for you, Chevron is ready to accumulate on the negative side effects. According to a Report from The New York TimesThe second largest fossil fuel company in the country is united with an investment company for the construction of natural gas power plants designed specifically for data supply centers simply in time so that the whole market can rethink whether we actually need to burn all these resources of AI models.

According to Times, Chevron already orders equipment and pursues potential places for these power plants, which the company believes can only work for three years. The plan, according to Chevron CEO, Mike Wirt, is to “meet the moment and to deal with this increasing need for reliable and affordable power.”

The plan is also to make money while the money is flowing freely. Studies by Goldman Sachs suggests that demand for power center power will increase by 160% by 2030, and companies that can quickly receive support will reach a larger share of Expected $ 500 billion This will be spent to expand the infrastructure of the data center. You can say that this is an opportunistic move of Chevron as the company was Seizure from work power plants In favor of the much more divantial business for drilling and selling oil and gas. But suddenly, as a source of energy for companies that have Free flowing money from risk capitalists It looks like a good business to be in.

Shevron probably could choose a better week to make the message. While the largest players in America in AI space generally push the idea that AI will only improve if we press more power, we will burn more energy and eat more processing capacity, China-based Deepseek Just to let my own AI model This provokes great technological offers of some of the costs. So we may not just have to burn fossil fuels to meet the needs generated by AI SLOP FAUCTIRICSS

Interestingly, Shevron’s order to the AI ​​Power facilitator seems partly the work of engine # 1, an investment company for activists, which claims to be focused on the social good. Engine # 1 before Started a successful offer to press Exxon Mobil To a business model that would collapse its carbon footprint and prioritize clean energy strategies for the future. But hey, there is money that needs to be made right now. It turns out that the “social good” is thrown on the road when you can participate in the gold tide. We will all divide the bill to fall later.