Operation Gigawatt: It’s ok to want more
Environmental uses of AI have been lost in conversations about energy
At the Deseret News, Chris Koopman and I have an opinion piece celebrating the vision behind Operation Gigawatt, Governor Spencer Cox’s push for energy abundance. Cox proposes that the state set its policies to enable a doubling of Utah’s energy use.
This approach stands out for a few reasons. First, it dispels the confusion that environmental goals require less. Second, it does not focus on any single portion of the energy system. Fundamentally, it recognizes that prosperity is energy-intensive.
Conversations about energy abundance revolve around the economic benefits. These are valuable, but we shouldn’t shy away from conversations about the environmental benefits either. There’s an unfortunate belief that technological progress and environmental progress are incompatible. Economic growth, technological progress, and environmental progress can all go hand in hand. Take forms of carbon capture, desalination, or water reclamation. Each of these serves environmental aims but with high energy demands.
The technological innovations of artificial intelligence are usually lauded for their economic potential. In the fears surrounding rising energy demands, however, AI’s environmental potential has been lost:
New Mexico is using AI to find water leaks. Google and Microsoft have programs that work with utilities to waste fewer gallons of water.
In 2021, companies started using artificial intelligence to find lead pipes, including in Flint, Michigan. Today, more companies are adopting these technologies.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Microsoft are working together to find materials faster. As Microsoft’s press release puts it, “discoveries in weeks, not years” that can then be applied to environmental problems and medical questions.
For a second materials discovery, Google’s AI tool cataloged 2.2 million new crystals, as discussed in research published by Nature. If humans had to do the work without an AI, this is “equivalent to 800 years’ worth of knowledge,” Google explains.
Weather prediction is getting easier and more accurate with Google’s application of AI. This can help predict and prepare us for extreme weather.
These are early illustrations of environmental progress from AI’s development. Of course, there aren’t free lunches in the policy world. We have to make this vision a reality. As we conclude:
We need policies that expand infrastructure, streamline regulations and promote investment in new generation capacity. This isn’t just about energy; it’s about Utah’s future. With Operation Gigawatt, we have a chance to set a new standard for what energy abundance can achieve — economically, technologically and environmentally.
The path to prosperity runs through energy abundance.
Operation Gigawatt sets an inspiring precedent. It outlines how energy abundance can power innovations that solve today’s pressing environmental challenges. By embracing abundance, we open doors to both progress and prosperity.