Electricity demand from U.S. data centers is projected to be 36 percent higher over the next decade than forecast just a few months ago, according to BloombergNEF. AI power demand is slated to surge by 106 gigawatts by 2035, up from 78 GW estimated in April.
And speaking of things expected to surge next year, nearly 70% of institutional investors expect gold prices to continue to climb next year, according to Goldman Sachs. In a new poll, Goldman found 36% think gold will top $5,000 per oz. by the end of 2026, with another third of participants saying they expect it to trade between $4,500 and $5,000 over the same timeframe. Just 5% of those polled see prices dropping to between $3,500 and $4,000.
The Wall Street Journal today looks at the challenges associated with recycling e-waste for minerals, primarily the challenge of collecting electronic waste given the lack of infrastructure to get devices directly from homes, scrapyards, manufacturers or collection sites. At the same time, a significant amount of electronic waste is being shipped abroad, and legislation is in the works in Congress to ban most electronic waste exports from the U.S. to help boost mineral supplies at home.
