'AI centres could lead to blackouts, higher fuel costs'

The opposition in Trinidad and Tobago has strongly criticized the government's proposal to establish two artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, labeling it a 'pie in the sky' vision. Opposition Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales argued that the nation's electricity grid is insufficient to handle the immense power demands of such facilities. He warned that the addition of AI data centers could lead to a collapse in the country's electricity reserve margin, potentially causing widespread national blackouts. Gonzales explained that the system would be overstretched, exceeding dependable capacity and leaving no flexibility for essential maintenance or unexpected outages. He highlighted that any major turbine failure could trigger immediate blackouts. Furthermore, the opposition anticipates that running less efficient, more costly power units continuously to meet demand would significantly increase fuel costs and emissions. The plan also necessitates substantial investment in new generation capacity and extensive upgrades to the electricity grid, including transformers and substations, to support a sustained AI load of 500 megawatts.

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The country's electricity grid lacks the capacity to support the Government's proposed construction of two AI data centres.