Global data center electricity consumption could exceed 1,000 terawatt-hours in 2026, roughly equivalent to the entire electricity use of Japan, according to International Energy Agency projections. The figure marks a steep climb from about 415 terawatt-hours in 2024, when data centers accounted for roughly 1.5 percent of global electricity.

Consumption has grown about 12 percent a year over the past five years, and the IEA estimates that AI and cryptocurrency together will double facilities' electricity usage by 2026. Computing and cooling are identified as the most energy-intensive processes inside data centers.

US-specific projections show a steady climb. The IEA expects domestic data center electricity demand to move from well over 200 terawatt-hours in 2025 to more than 250 in 2026, above 300 in 2027, around 350 in 2028, and just under 400 by 2029. Artificial intelligence infrastructure is the primary driver of that trajectory.

The scale of the growth is reshaping energy planning. As data centers claim a larger share of generation, utilities and grid operators face pressure to expand capacity and manage reliability. The IEA's numbers frame data center power use as one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand worldwide heading through the decade.

Source: IEA / Data Center Frontier -- https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/energy/article/33038469/iea-study-sees-ai-cryptocurrency-doubling-data-center-energy-consumption-by-2026