Because Google designs the TPU, the server rack, the cooling loop, and the data center shell, they can optimize the cooling flow to match the exact thermal profile of the chip, squeezing out efficiency gains that are impossible with off-the-shelf hardware. The efficiency gains at the chip level are currently being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of deployment, leading us from the physics of the rack to the physics of the grid. Consequently, the US expansion of AI is fundamentally tied to the health and price stability of the domestic natural gas market, cementing fossil fuels as a critical component of the digital economy for the foreseeable future.
Author: Michael Kern
Published at: 2025-11-25 22:00:00
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