The American Foundry Society (AFS) ranked the top eight U.S. states for metal casting.
It also quantified the number of data centers in each of those states and urged the U.S. government to create a greater electric power infrastructure.
Metal casting
The AFS is the leading trade and technical association for the metalcasting industry in North America. It has about 8,000 members. They represent more than 2,000 metalcasting companies, as well as their suppliers and customers.
The following are the states with the largest number of metal casters in the United States:
- Ohio: 180.
- California: 140.
- Michigan: 125.
- Pennsylvania: 120.
- Wisconsin: 115.
- Illinois: 100.
- Texas: 80.
- Indiana: 75.
Data centers
The technology sector continues to grow rapidly. Cloud computing and artificial intelligence are driving the construction of more data centers in the United States. Currently, the country is home to more than 5,000 centers, representing 45% of the world’s total. These centers consume large amounts of energy and resources. They also play a key role in the energy efficiency of electric vehicles, as well as wind and solar power generation.
However, electricity demand continues to increase. Generative AI and manufacturing repatriation have elevated consumption, which has put reliable baseload generation capacity at risk.
These are the same states with their respective numbers of data centers:
- Ohio: 164.
- California: 283.
- Michigan: 52.
- Pennsylvania: 71.
- Wisconsin: 40.
- Illinois: 154.
- Texas: 290.
- Indiana: 39.
Proposal
An efficient energy policy is therefore essential. The transition to alternative fuels must be better planned. At the same time, modernization of the aging power grid becomes urgent. However, permitting restrictions delay infrastructure development. For this reason, streamlining these processes would ensure more affordable and reliable power.
Against this backdrop, AFS is seeking a meeting with Commerce Department officials and smelter owners. Its goal is to discuss the impact of rising energy prices on the industry. In addition, it is inviting Commerce Department staff to visit a foundry to learn first-hand about these challenges.