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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At a special Rural Town Hall, RFD-TV Founder Patrick Gottsch will update viewers on Resolution 712, recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and backed by Republicans and Democrats alike. This represents major progress in the ongoing effort to protect agricultural news and rural content — something that is nine years in the making.
