Data centers in the U.S. are using a lot more electricity, and that number is going up fast. Right now, they use about 5% of all the power in the country. By 2030, that could grow to more than 10%.
“Forecasts show that data center energy demand will grow from 5% of total US power demand today to more than 10% in 2030.” https://www.apolloacademy.com/data-center-energy-demand-will-double-over-the-next-five-years/
"Forecasts show that data center energy demand will grow from 5% of total US power demand today to more than 10% in 2030."
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By 2028, data centers could use nearly three times as much electricity as they do now. They might use between 6.7% and 12% of all the electricity in the U.S. The Department of Energy says this will put a lot of stress on the power system and that big fixes will be needed.
“Data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and are expected to consume approximately 6.7 to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.” https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-evaluating-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers
Electric bills are going up in many states because of this. In New Jersey, bills rose 20% in one year. In Ohio, they went up between 10% and 15%. This is mostly because of more data centers and the growing use of AI, which needs a lot of power.
Electricity costs are up in most of America, with rates jumping 10% or more in a dozen states in just one year.
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“Electricity bills for some consumers in New Jersey have increased by 20% and in Ohio, prices rose between 10% and 15%.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/states-rising-electricity-costs-see-114400878.html
AI, especially generative AI, is using a lot of power too. It might need 50 to 60 gigawatts of new energy — about the same as many big power plants combined. Data centers run all day and night, so they use power non-stop. This makes it hard for the electric grid to keep up.
“U.S. data center energy demand is set to jump from 224 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 606 terawatt-hours in 2030.” https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-the-energy-demand-of-u-s-data-centers-2023-2030p/
By 2030, data centers could use 12% of all the electricity in the U.S. That is more than four times the amount they use now. This growth raises big questions about how the power system will handle it, who will pay for upgrades, and how it will affect the environment.