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| Science & Technology |
| Energy-sucking AI data centers can look here for power instead |
| 2025-07-09 |
| [FOXNEWS] How second-life EV batteries are fueling the AI energy boom. Artificial intelligence is expanding quickly, and so is the energy required to run it. Modern AI data centers use much more electricity than traditional cloud servers. In many cases, the existing power grid cannot keep up. One innovative solution is gaining traction: repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers. HOW REDWOOD ENERGY IS USING REPURPOSED EV BATTERIES FOR AI DATA CENTERS Redwood Materials, created by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, is addressing the energy needs of AI through a new venture called Redwood Energy. Instead of sending used electric vehicle batteries straight to recycling, the company gives them a second life. The process begins by collecting and testing old EV battery packs. Many still retain over 50 percent of their original capacity. Once approved, these batteries are rebuilt into modular storage systems that can power AI operations. One example is a 12-megawatt, 63-megawatt-hour microgrid now supporting a 2,000-GPU data center operated by Crusoe in Nevada. This project is considered the largest active deployment of second-life EV batteries. It already operates more affordably than systems built with new batteries. WHY REPURPOSED EV BATTERIES FOR AI DATA CENTERS REDUCE EMISSIONS AND COSTS The environmental and financial benefits are significant. By using repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers, companies avoid sending usable materials to landfills. This also cuts down on mining for new raw materials, which helps reduce carbon emissions. Second-life battery systems typically cost less than brand-new lithium-ion options. That makes large-scale energy storage more accessible to AI developers and utilities. Since these batteries are already built and tested, they can be installed more quickly than waiting for new infrastructure. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #4 Fine. Where does the energy to charge them come from? |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2025-07-09 09:33 |
| #3 Musk’s Grok AI facility faces opposition as environmentalists target data centers’ emissions |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-07-09 02:17 |
| #2 Wisconsin nuclear power bills signed into law |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-07-09 02:16 |
| #1 Paint old paint over the old paint. Expensively fighting power demand issues instead of driving discovery of new compute technology. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-07-08 12:00 |