The grid — not the chip — is the bottleneck for AI

The conversation obsessed over chips. The actual constraint turned out to be electricity — and specifically, the years-long queue to connect new load to the grid.

Data-center expansion is increasingly gated by power availability and interconnection timelines, not silicon supply. That has made energy strategy a core part of every serious compute roadmap.

Second-order effects

• On-site and behind-the-meter generation became a competitive advantage.
• Siting decisions now follow power, not talent.
• Energy procurement teams sit in on infrastructure planning.

Signal: if your scaling plan assumes power is free and instant, it isn't a plan.