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Last week, people saw the 7% spike in the S&P 500 and called it a relief rally. Markets breathed. Volatility cooled off for a moment. But what actually happened wasn’t just a response to Trump’s sudden 90-day tariff pause. It was a pressure release after days
Let’s talk markets. Specifically, let’s talk about what just went down (literally) in the Nasdaq this week. If you’ve been paying attention—or maybe even if you haven’t—it’s gotten pretty ugly pretty fast. I even tweeted something about it: Markets take the stairs up
The drop happened fast! If you blinked sometime in February, you might’ve missed that we were at new all-time highs. Now? We're in full correction territory. Just yesterday, the S&P 500 fell more 2%, and now close to 10% in less than a month. Not
Did you know that 56% of Wisconsin’s agricultural exports could be impacted by tariffs from Canada, Mexico, and China? Wisconsin now represents the 11th largest exporter of agricultural products in the U.S., up from 13th in 2023 (WI DATCP). In 2024, Wisconsin’s agricultural exports reached $3.97
So, here’s something no one seems to be making a big deal about: tariffs are rising fast, and they’re dragging the US economy down. You won’t hear much about it in the headlines, but the effects could start to pile up. Higher prices, weaker growth, and more
The rise of AI is revolutionary, but it's also creating a huge energy crisis. Turns out, AI isn’t just smarter than us, it’s hungrier too. Who knew machines could have such an appetite for power?
AI's explosive growth has led to the construction of massive data centers worldwide. There's a facility (owned by Databank) in Virginia that uses as much energy as 30,000 homes. Globally, there are more than 7,000 data centers built, up from 3,600 in 2015.
Capital Expenditure on Data Centers
The actual investment by companies into data centers has jumped in recent years. Global data center spending increased from $140 billion in 2012 to $222 billion in 2023. These massive spending plans underscore the important role data centers will play in supporting our infrastructure.
Also important, energy demand from data centers is outpacing the supply, causing strain on power grids. Global data centers consumed 460 TWh of electricity in 2022, with projections reaching up to 1,000 TWh by 2026 due to AI and cryptocurrency mining. This dramatic increase is comparable to the total electricity consumption of some large countries (For reference, Japan uses only 913 TWh per year)
Goldman Sachs estimates that US utility companies will need to invest $50 billion in new power generation capacity. This investment is crucial to support these new energy demands, and could lead to higher energy prices for consumers in the near-term.
The surge in data center energy demand could also derail global renewable energy goals. This trend is part of a larger issue where technology's growth outstrips our infrastructure's ability to keep up.
AI data centers are rapidly increasing energy demands, straining power grids, and posing challenges. How do you think we'll balance the benefits of AI with the need for sustainable energy?