Ramez Naam

8 tracked predictions · 0 hit · 0 partial · 0 miss · 8 still open

open Ramez Naam: A request today for hundreds of megawatts to power a new data center in ERCOT (Texas), the fastest-moving US grid, will not receive power before 2031-2032.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2031-2032 · ▶ watch
“good luck getting that power before 2031 2032”
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open Ramez Naam: Battery-backed, interruptible-load data center deals that time-shift demand off peak hours will go from an unusual approach today to a widely common industry practice.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: mid-2027 · ▶ watch
“12 months from now this will be a super common approach”
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open Ramez Naam: EV-charging-style demand flexibility and load timeshifting will unlock roughly 100GW of grid capacity for new AI data centers over the next five years.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2031 · ▶ watch
“that's the next five years of AI data center growth”
Your call:
open Ramez Naam: SpaceX aims to reach 100 gigawatts per year of AI compute launched into orbit.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: before 2030 · ▶ watch
“before 2030 he wants to get to 100 gawatts per year”
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open Ramez Naam: SpaceX is unlikely to have even a single gigawatt of AI compute operating in space.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2030 · ▶ watch
“if SpaceX has a gig single gigawatt in space, I will be very impressed”
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open Ramez Naam: No company will have an actual commercial small modular reactor operating despite the industry's own optimistic targets.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2030-2031 · ▶ watch
“I don't expect anyone to actually have a commercial small modular reactor in 2030 2031”
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open Ramez Naam: Helion will deliver 50 megawatts of fusion power to Microsoft under their power purchase agreement.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2028 · ▶ watch
“a power purchase agreement from Microsoft to provide 50 megawatts of power... in 2028”
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open Ramez Naam: Nvidia's CUDA software moat will be effectively broken as AI-assisted code recompilation lets workloads run efficiently on rival chips like AMD and Cerebras.
EP #280 · 2026-08-15 · due: 2027 · ▶ watch
“I think the CUDA moat is broken this year and next year”
Your call: