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Business Technology News Roundup: Aug 22, 2025
The five U.S. tech stories that mattered Aug 18–22, 2025: Big Tech and utilities tackle data-center power demand, CISA advances SBOM, FTC warns major platforms on data/privacy, Meta licenses Midjourney tech, and Arm accelerates its own chips.
Introduction: Last week’s U.S. tech news wasn’t just headlines—it was infrastructure, policy, and platform strategy in motion. AI’s energy footprint drew new responses from utilities and hyperscalers; federal agencies moved software transparency forward; regulators warned platforms about data security and foreign pressure; and Big Tech reshuffled alliances in AI and silicon. Here’s what actually moved the needle.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts electricity consumption will climb to 4.186 trillion kWh in 2025 and 4.284 trillion kWh in 2026, surpassing 2024 totals. The jump is largely propelled by AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and expanding-electric use in homes and businesses.
Natural gas is expected to remain the top energy source, though renewables will edge up from 23% to 26% share. Coal and nuclear are projected to decline. Each sector—residential, commercial, industrial—is poised to see new records, setting the stage for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
In a forward-thinking initiative, Nvidia-backed startup Emerald AI is piloting energy-saving tools designed to reduce data center strain. Early tests in Phoenix showed a 25% drop in peak-time electricity usage, as loads shift strategically with grid conditions.
This move positions AI as part of the grid solution—not just a consumer. By modulating workloads based on real-time demand, these tools could accelerate data center deployment while easing power constraints and integrating renewable sources more effectively.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released updated draft guidance for Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) standards, now open for public feedback until October 3.
SBOMs help organizations trace software components—the ingredients of applications—for better risk assessment. This 2025 version adds essential new fields like component hash, license info, tool name, and generation context, while refining existing entries (e.g., “software producer” to clarify authorship).
Americans are starting to feel the energy pinch—rising AI infrastructure power needs are translating into real costs. Between May 2024 and May 2025, U.S. electricity rates jumped 6.5% nationally; some states saw much steeper rises—36% in Maine, 18.4% in Connecticut—as reported by grid watchdogs.
Data centers are now a leading force in electricity demand growth, and utilities increasingly rely on older fossil-fuel plants to fill the gap. Demand volatility and backup systems are pushing communities toward near-level outages—and sparking calls for data center accountability in energy usage.
As artificial intelligence continues to scale, U.S. power grids are feeling the heat. The Department of Energy projects an additional 20 GW of data center energy demand by 2030, potentially pushing AI-related consumption to 12% of national electricity by 2028.
In response, utilities and tech giants—including Microsoft and AWS—are rolling out load management initiatives like rate adjustments, demand-response programs, and smarter grid tools such as digital twins and real-time monitoring. Developers are now pairing data centers with power generation sites and adopting efficient cooling designs, all to ensure stability in markets like Virginia and Texas.
As artificial intelligence continues to scale, U.S. power grids are feeling the heat. The Department of Energy projects an additional 20 GW of data center energy demand by 2030, potentially pushing AI-related consumption to 12% of national electricity by 2028.
In response, utilities and tech giants—including Microsoft and AWS—are rolling out load management initiatives like rate adjustments, demand-response programs, and smarter grid tools such as digital twins and real-time monitoring. Developers are now pairing data centers with power generation sites and adopting efficient cooling designs, all to ensure stability in markets like Virginia and Texas.
Americans are starting to feel the energy pinch—rising AI infrastructure power needs are translating into real costs. Between May 2024 and May 2025, U.S. electricity rates jumped 6.5% nationally; some states saw much steeper rises—36% in Maine, 18.4% in Connecticut—as reported by grid watchdogs.
Data centers are now a leading force in electricity demand growth, and utilities increasingly rely on older fossil-fuel plants to fill the gap. Demand volatility and backup systems are pushing communities toward near-level outages—and sparking calls for data center accountability in energy usage.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released updated draft guidance for Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) standards, now open for public feedback until October 3.
SBOMs help organizations trace software components—the ingredients of applications—for better risk assessment. This 2025 version adds essential new fields like component hash, license info, tool name, and generation context, while refining existing entries (e.g., “software producer” to clarify authorship).
In a forward-thinking initiative, Nvidia-backed startup Emerald AI is piloting energy-saving tools designed to reduce data center strain. Early tests in Phoenix showed a 25% drop in peak-time electricity usage, as loads shift strategically with grid conditions.
This move positions AI as part of the grid solution—not just a consumer. By modulating workloads based on real-time demand, these tools could accelerate data center deployment while easing power constraints and integrating renewable sources more effectively.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts electricity consumption will climb to 4.186 trillion kWh in 2025 and 4.284 trillion kWh in 2026, surpassing 2024 totals. The jump is largely propelled by AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and expanding-electric use in homes and businesses.
Natural gas is expected to remain the top energy source, though renewables will edge up from 23% to 26% share. Coal and nuclear are projected to decline. Each sector—residential, commercial, industrial—is poised to see new records, setting the stage for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
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