The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Cato Institute (10/20/25) argues: "Artificial intelligence doesn’t run on optimism or buzzwords. It runs on electricity. This seems to be a growing concern as the technology advances, with outlets from Teen Vogue and Wired to the Washington Post and Harvard Business Review publishing articles about AI’s alarming energy and water consumption. The previous AI doomerism now seems to be focused less on AI’s application and more on its use of resources. However, there should be a case for optimism on both energy policy and technology policy regarding this issue. Rather than immediately rushing to fit these growing energy demands into our existing policy frameworks, AI can provide an opportunity to rethink our static models and mental frameworks around energy. Such rethinking provides opportunities for dynamic growth in both technological innovation and energy. If the United States wants to lead the world in AI, policymakers must abandon the illusion that a centrally planned grid can power a decentralized technological revolution. Energy abundance and technological progress thrive when they are built on the same foundation: an open-ended market process with less government intervention."
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"The reliability of the power grid remains extremely high, but, paradoxically, the risks to reliability continue to mount. We’re seeing … an increasing number of small scale events and near misses that continue to reinforce what we can’t call anything but a five-alarm fire when it comes to reliability."
– Jim Robb, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp
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