US data centers have tripled their water use to 17 billion gallons, straining US power grids and raising concerns about the environmental impact of the growing industry.[10134][25395] The AI data center boom has accelerated investment in solid-state power transformers, which could provide a silver lining for the industry, but manufacturing constraints and delays in delivery are hindering power grid infrastructure expansion.[219][174238] Data centers have become the largest driver of a surging electricity demand that is straining US power grids.[219] The US government has moved to suppress pushback on data centers, with lawmakers introducing legislation to accelerate the deployment of new power transformers.[174238] The largest power transformers cannot be mass-manufactured and are instead custom-built for each utility company's electrical substations.[219] Power grids currently rely on conventional transformer technology that is painstakingly assembled by hand and has a fundamental design dating back to the 1880s.[219] Utility companies and other customers must wait up to several years for delivery of new power transformers, delaying the process of replacing aging power transformers.[219]