US data center electricity demand is projected to grow 133 percent by 2030, reaching 426 terawatt-hours, according to research cited by Utility Dive. The projection captures how quickly AI and cloud computing are scaling power consumption from a base that already strains parts of the grid.

Longer-range forecasts point even higher. A BloombergNEF analysis found that data centers could consume roughly 20 percent of all electricity generated in the United States by 2035, up from about 5.9 percent today. The same research projected national data center demand could reach 194 gigawatts within a decade as computing campuses grow larger.

Grid connection capacity is a central constraint. BloombergNEF found that the highest annual amount of new data center capacity that can currently connect to the electric grid sits near 7.1 gigawatts, a ceiling that raises questions about whether infrastructure can match the pace of demand. That gap between planned campuses and available interconnection has become a defining challenge for the sector.

The figures describe an industry expanding faster than the power system around it. Demand growth of 133 percent by 2030 and a potential one-fifth share of national electricity by 2035 mark a structural shift in how the US grid is used. The limited annual interconnection capacity underscores why utilities, regulators, and operators are all focused on the physical constraints of delivering power to new computing sites.

Source: Utility Dive - https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-data-centers-could-4x-water-use-by-2028-double-electricity-by-2030-khi/825774/