AI and climate: Hero or villain?

AI's role in the climate fight has gotten complicated. A few years ago, the technology was pitched as a way to speed up clean energy breakthroughs and make the power grid smarter. Now there's growing concern it's doing the opposite, with new data centers driving demand for gas-fired power plants, pushing up electricity prices, and making it harder for utilities to meet emissions goals.

Despite that backlash, AI is already built into parts of the clean energy system most homeowners never see. It helps forecast electricity demand, supports research into new materials, and helps grid operators decide when and where to send power. AI researcher Priya Donti, who co-founded the nonprofit Climate Change AI, argues the technology isn't a cure-all for climate problems, but it also isn't the villain some headlines suggest. Her view: AI's climate impact depends heavily on how and where it gets used.

For homeowners, this isn't about a program or rebate you can apply for. It's a reminder that the rising electricity prices you may be noticing are tied, in part, to the massive power demands of AI data centers being built around the country. At the same time, some of the tools utilities use to manage the grid more efficiently, including programs that coordinate home batteries, thermostats, and other connected devices during peak demand, rely on this same technology working in the background.