AI Lifts U.S. Manufacturing, Power and Offices as Turbine Prices Triple
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
AI Lifts U.S. Manufacturing, Power and Offices as Turbine Prices Triple
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
Summary
Data-center spending is spreading AI’s economic impact beyond tech, lifting U.S. manufacturing jobs, reviving office leasing and adding tens of billions of dollars to annual advertising outlays.
Gas turbines—used to power private plants for energy-hungry data centers—have doubled or tripled in price in five years, and wait times for popular models have stretched to four years.
San Francisco shows the real-estate effect most clearly: AI companies account for about half of newly leased office space this year, helping revive downtown while pushing up competition for offices and housing.
Specialized electrical-component manufacturing is one of only two manufacturing categories posting consistent job growth in recent years, with wages also rising as data-center construction expands.
The same boom is fueling worries about pollution, higher utility bills and a dot-com-style bust that could hit jobs, profits and broader U.S. growth if AI investment cools.