AI data centers strain small grids

Mega AI data‑centers seeking gigawatt scale can consume a large share of electrical capacity in smaller or developing countries, forcing tradeoffs between national power availability and foreign tech investment. The Microsoft/G42 plan in Kenya — a proposed 1 GW target versus a national installed capacity of ~3,000 MW and peak demand ~2,444 MW — shows how such projects can overwhelm local generation and require restructuring power commitments or pausing plans. — This reframes data‑center siting as a question of national infrastructure sovereignty and energy policy, not just corporate investment, with implications for permitting, industrial strategy, and local political accountability.