AI的黑暗代價：數據中心電力告急，意外重啟高污染備用電廠
路透社報導揭示，AI數據中心龐大的電力需求，正迫使電力公司重啟高污染的化石燃料備用電廠。本文剖析AI發展背後的能源困境，及其對科技巨頭ESG承諾和投資市場的深遠影響。
人工智慧（AI）革命的背後，一場巨大的能源危機正悄然上演。根據路透社調查報導，為滿足AI數據中心驚人的電力需求，美國多家電力公司正被迫延後淘汰、甚至重啟汙染嚴重的化石燃料「尖峰負載發電廠」（Peaker Power Plant）。此舉不僅與科技巨頭們標榜的環保承諾背道而馳，也為全球能源轉型投下變數。
AI巨頭的「電力飢渴」
訓練及運行大型AI模型所消耗的電力，遠非傳統運算所能比擬。報導指出，在維吉尼亞、德州等數據中心密集的地區，電網壓力已瀕臨極限。一家公用事業公司高層向路透社坦言：「AI帶來的用電增長，已完全顛覆我們過去五年的規劃預測。」據估計，到2030年，全球AI數據中心的電力需求可能將翻倍。
所謂「尖峰電廠」，通常使用天然氣或燃油，僅在用電高峰期啟動，其運營成本高昂且碳排放量巨大。然而，面對AI數據中心24小時不間斷的龐大需求，以及再生能源發電的不穩定性，這些老舊電廠竟成為維持電網穩定的「必要之惡」。
氣候承諾與商業現實的矛盾
此一現象，讓微軟、Google、亞馬遜AWS等雲端服務巨頭陷入尷尬境地。儘管這些企業大力投資綠電採購，並宣示達成碳中和目標，但其賴以生存的基礎設施——電網，卻正因AI而變得更加「骯髒」。
環保團體批評，科技巨頭不能只專注於自身的直接排放，更應對其供應鏈造成的間接碳足跡負責。對投資人而言，這也構成一項潛在的ESG（環境、社會及治理）風險。企業若無法解決AI發展的永續性問題，其長期估值可能面臨修正。
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