Data centers accounted for about 1.5 percent of global electricity consumption in 2024, an amount expected to double by 2030 because of AI use
A photo taken on December 23, 2023, shows Tencent's largest big data center and cloud computing base in East China, which is situated in the Jiangning Development Zone in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Data Centers Will Use Twice as Much Energy by 2030—Driven by AI I agree my information will be processed in accordance with the Scientific American and Springer Nature Limited Privacy Policy The electricity consumption of data centres is projected to more than double by 2030, according to a report from the International Energy Agency published today. The primary culprit? Artificial Intelligence (AI). The report covers the current energy footprint for data centres and forecasts their future needs, which could help governments, companies, and local communities to plan infrastructure and AI deployment. IEA's models project that data centres will use 945 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2030, roughly equivalent to the current annual electricity consumption of Japan. By comparison, data centres consumed 415 TWh in 2024, roughly 1.5% of the world's total electricity consumption (see 'Global electricity growth'). On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning…