Data center demand for grid supplied power is climbing at a pace that would nearly triple by the end of the decade, according to S&P Global analysis of the electricity sector. The firm projects data center grid power demand rising 22 percent in 2025, with the trajectory pointing toward roughly three times current levels by 2030.

The growth is reshaping load forecasts for electric utilities across the country. In 2026, US data center demand is expected to reach about 75.8 gigawatts for information technology equipment, cooling, and related building uses. That surge underpins the robust load growth estimates utilities have published as artificial intelligence workloads expand and operators bring large new campuses online.

The scale of the increase stands out against historical norms. US power generation is forecast to reach approximately 4,400 terawatt-hours by 2026 and could rise toward 5,200 terawatt-hours by 2030, an increase of close to 24 percent from 2023 levels. Analysts note that sustained load growth of this magnitude has not occurred since the 1980s, a period of very different demand drivers.

The figures highlight a structural shift in electricity markets. Where demand growth had been modest for years, the concentrated and fast rising needs of data centers are forcing utilities, regulators, and generators to plan new capacity, accelerate interconnection processing, and weigh a mix of generation sources to keep the grid reliable while serving an expanding base of large computing loads.

Source: S&P Global - https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/101425-data-center-grid-power-demand-to-rise-22-in-2025-nearly-triple-by-2030