Batteries beat gas turbines; PC shipments fall 20.1 percent
Energy storage systems have become cheaper than natural gas turbines at data centers as demand drove up turbine costs, while PC shipments dropped 20.1 percent—the steepest decline since early 2023.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Late Night BBNPublished
At a glance
- First reported by TechCrunch: “Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers”, with reporting from Ars Technica.
- Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 4:22 AM ET on Late Night BBN, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: PC.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFollow-up on the doomers.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentTechCrunch reports that energy storage systems have undercut natural gas turbines at data centers, since increased demand drove up turbine costs.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the bunkers get cheap power. Doomsday with a discount.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentArs Technica adds that PC shipments fell 20.1 percent, the sharpest drop since early twenty twenty-three.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTwenty percent?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAnd they warn it may be the start of a new downward cycle. Nobody can afford the laptop, but the robots get the power.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the billionaires hide in a bunker with unlimited battery and no computer. It's a data center with a mattress.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWriting that down. Mistake number nine.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt's a vibe, though.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentRosa, what crime did you bring? Please be a stolen laptop.
The story so far
- Batteries beat gas turbines; PC shipments fall 20.1 percent (this story)
- P.T. fans can now play it on PC, and the phone-hoarding era ends · Ars Technica
- Microsoft's new Photos app merges PC, OneDrive and iCloud galleries · The Verge
- Wired reviews Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra as first real AI PC · Wired
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Saturday, October 10, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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