Hitachi Energy Warns AI Energy Demands Threaten Power Supply Stability

Hitachi Energy Warns AI Energy Demands Threaten Power Supply Stability
Source: Unsplash - Leohoho

Hitachi Energy CEO Claudio Facchin warned in July 2025 that sudden energy consumption spikes caused by AI systems pose a significant risk to global power supply stability. The root of the problem lies in the operation of AI data centres, which have extremely intensive but unpredictable energy demands, presenting a significant challenge to electrical grids. According to the Financial Times report, large technology companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon already use nearly 4% of the United States' total energy consumption, and this proportion is rapidly increasing with the spread of AI applications, heightening the risk of power grid overloads.

Hitachi Energy – which manufactures equipment for a significant portion of the world's energy infrastructure – finds it particularly concerning that energy demand is not only increasing in quantity but also becoming more unpredictable. According to Facchin, AI data centres can increase their energy consumption by 10-20% within seconds, creating extreme stress for electrical grids and potentially leading to power outages. Experts cited by The Bridge Chronicle state that energy providers and network operators are not prepared for these rapid consumption fluctuations, as traditional electricity networks were designed for gradual load changes, not the sudden peaks generated by AI systems.

To address the problem, Hitachi Energy proposes three key solutions: new energy storage technologies, strategic placement of data centres, and advanced grid management systems. According to the company, battery energy storage systems (BESS) could be one of the most effective solutions, capable of responding to sudden energy demand changes within milliseconds. Based on Ground News reporting, Hitachi Energy is already working on specialised energy supply solutions specifically tailored to AI data centre needs, including high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems that can deliver electrical energy over long distances with up to 97% efficiency. Developing energy infrastructure will be crucial for sustaining further AI development, and Hitachi Energy predicts that investments worth more than $50 billion will be needed in this area over the next five years.

Sources:

1.

Hitachi Energy says AI power spikes threaten to destabilise global supply
Head of the world’s biggest transformer maker calls for rules to alert utilities to the wild fluctuations in data centre demand

2.

Hitachi Energy warns AI power spikes threaten to destabilise global supply
Head of the world’s biggest transformer maker calls for rules to alert utilities to the wild fluctuations in data centre demand

3.

News Logo
Hitachi Energy Warns AI Power Spikes Could Destabilise Global Supply
The Bridge Chronicle · 2025