Rural America’s broadband use is surging as more precision ag tools come online, but that digital growth has a price. Data centers are moving into small towns and energy supplies are feeling the strain.
“If you look at some of the studies that have been done and the estimates around energy consumption, we are headed for a supply-demand imbalance in the energy complex because of AI in the not-too-distant future,” said Jeff Johnston, lead economist for digital infrastructure, CoBank.
Johnston says while there might be a lot of challenges ahead, he calls the whole process a big opportunity for rural America.
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“We as NCBA, we’re not shocked to see that there is a human case.”
The trustees’ 2025 annual report, released June 18, cited a law enacted this year as the primary reason why the funds are projected to run out a year earlier than previously projected.
“Sometimes populations correct on their own. That seems to be what is happening here.”
