Before AI hits the grid

PAKISTAN’S announcement that it would allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI data centres has triggered a predictable debate: can the country afford to supply that much power? It is an important question, but not the most useful one. Bitcoin mining, AI training and real-time digital services do not exactly place identical demands on the electricity system. Pakistan’s electricity challenge is about more than the amount of generation capacity available. It is about when and where electricity is needed, whether the network can deliver it reliably, and how that demand is managed during periods of stress. During the hottest months, cooling demand pushes the grid…