Democracy Dies in Darkness
Power Grab
AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle solution.
As power needs of AI push emissions up and put big tech in a bind, companies put their faith in elusive — some say improbable — technologies.
14 min
The mighty Columbia River has helped power the American West with hydroelectricity since the days of FDR’sNew Deal. But the artificial intelligence revolution will demand more. Much more.
So near the river’s banks in central Washington, Microsoft is betting on aneffort to generate power from atomic fusion — the collision of atoms that powers the sun — a breakthrough that has eluded scientists for the past century. Physicists predict it will elude Microsoft, too.
