AIxEnergy

Sign in Subscribe

Michael Leifman

Washington, DC

Michael Leifman is an energy strategist with 20+ years in climate risk, modeling, and decarbonization. Former consulting partner, GE strategist, and DOE/EPA analyst, he holds M.S. degrees from Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon, B.A. from Chicago.

Managing Data Center Uncertainty Part II — Phantom Data Centers: How Strategic Opacity Drives Overbuild

Managing Data Center Uncertainty Part II — Phantom Data Centers: How Strategic Opacity Drives Overbuild

AI developers are inflating power demand with phantom data centers—projects that exist on paper but never connect. Utilities build for the illusion, regulators approve the excess, and ratepayers bear the cost. Increased transparency can break the cycle.

Managing Data Center Uncertainty Part I — The Uncertainty Problem

Managing Data Center Uncertainty Part I — The Uncertainty Problem

AI has broken the grid’s forecasting logic. Data-center demand could double—or stall—by 2028. The problem isn’t prediction, it’s governance. Smarter rules, transparent data, and flexible pricing—not overbuild—will determine how well the grid survives the AI era.