Global data centre electricity consumption is projected to nearly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 terawatt-hours in 2030, according to the International Energy Agency's Energy and AI analysis, reaching just under 3% of total worldwide electricity consumption by the end of the decade.

The United States dominates the growth. Together with China, the two countries account for nearly 80% of the global increase to 2030, with US consumption rising by around 240 terawatt-hours, an increase of roughly 130%, and China adding about 175 terawatt-hours, up 170%.

Artificial intelligence is the engine behind the curve. Electricity consumption from AI-focused data centres is projected to triple between 2025 and 2030, growing far faster than data centre demand overall. From 2024 to 2030, total data centre electricity use grows about 15% per year, more than four times the pace of electricity growth from all other sectors combined.

The trajectory continues past 2030. The IEA's base case puts global data centre consumption at roughly 1,200 terawatt-hours by 2035, a figure that would rank data centres ahead of the total electricity use of most countries. For US utilities, the projection frames the planning challenge of the next decade: building generation and transmission fast enough to serve a load class that barely registered in forecasts five years ago.

Source: International Energy Agency - https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/executive-summary