Global energy security faces ‘electrical drought’ amid rising demand

Global energy security is facing a period of instability described as an ‘electrical drought.’ This phenomenon is driven by the exponential growth in electricity demand, largely fueled by the development of artificial intelligence and data centers. In Chile, for example, the number of data centers is expected to double in the near future, increasing both power and water consumption for cooling.

In response to massive power outages experienced in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and Morocco are working to reactivate a project for a submarine interconnection. This project aims to establish a 220-kilometer cable with a capacity of approximately one gigawatt, costing an estimated 650 million euros. This initiative seeks to reduce Portugal's reliance on Spain for electricity supply.

Governments in regions such as Switzerland and Austria have also begun treating potential power outages as a top national security priority. As energy demand continues to rise, the tension between renewable energy sources and the need for stabilizing power, such as nuclear energy, remains a critical challenge for global infrastructure.