Data Centers Can Delay, Not Dodge, the Power Crunch
Data Center Knowledge, Thursday, October 22nd, 2026
Infosys analysis: efficiency and flexible AI workloads buy near-term capacity but will not remove the need for new grid infrastructure.
An Infosys analysis of AI energy demand through 2030 concludes that efficiency improvements, advanced cooling and shifting flexible workloads can create near-term headroom for AI, but are more likely to delay than eliminate the need for new generation and transmission.
Infosys recommends a dual-track strategy: get the most from existing capacity while speeding up grid investment.
Training, retraining and batch jobs can often be scheduled around grid conditions, while real-time inference cannot, so operators cannot treat their whole AI load as curtailable.
Wider flexibility will need SLAs that match workload requirements, plus demand-response incentives and pricing.