US data center power demand could climb to about 106 gigawatts by 2035, according to a BloombergNEF projection reported by Utility Dive. The estimate captures the long-term scale of the buildout, layering AI-driven growth on top of steady expansion in cloud computing across the next decade.

The figure represents a multiple of current levels. Data centers already account for a fast-rising share of US electricity consumption, and forecasts across analysts converge on continued steep growth, with near-term 2026 demand estimated near 75.8 gigawatts for hyperscale facilities. The BloombergNEF outlook extends that curve well into the 2030s, underscoring how durable the demand signal has become.

Broader electricity forecasts reflect the same pressure. Industry groups project US annual electricity consumption rising sharply through 2050, with data centers among the primary drivers alongside electrification of transport and industry. The convergence of these trends ends decades of relatively flat US power demand and reintroduces sustained load growth as a central planning challenge.

Meeting the projection will require large additions of generation, transmission, and storage. Analysts point to a mix of natural gas, solar, wind, battery storage, and a renewed interest in nuclear power, including small modular reactors, to supply data center load reliably. The scale and timing of those additions, set against the speed at which developers want to bring campuses online, will shape electricity costs and grid reliability through the next decade.

Source: Utility Dive - https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-data-center-power-demand-could-reach-106-gw-by-2035-bloombergnef/806972/