The growing number of data centers designed to support AI's computational needs might pose challenges to the US power grid, as a Bloomberg report suggests. Analyzing data from Whisker Labs' 1 million residential sensors and market insights from DC Byte, Bloomberg discovered that over half of the households experiencing severe power distortions are located within 20 miles of major data center operations. This indicates a possible connection between the closeness of data centers and "bad harmonics, " which is a term for the suboptimal electrical power flow to homes.

According to Bloomberg, this "distorted" power can potentially damage appliances, heighten the risk of electrical fires, and cause brownouts and blackouts. AI data centers might further exacerbate these issues due to their unpredictable energy demands. Aman Joshi, the chief commercial officer at Bloom Energy, noted, "No grid is designed to handle the level of load fluctuation caused by multiple data centers at once. " However, a representative from Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison expressed skepticism to Bloomberg, stating that they "strongly question the accuracy and underlying assumptions of Whisker Lab’s claims. "