US data center electricity consumption is projected to climb from 224 terawatt hours in 2025 to 606 terawatt hours in 2030, lifting the industry's share of total US power demand from about 5 percent to 12 percent, according to projections charted by Visual Capitalist. The 2026 figure alone is forecast at 292 terawatt hours, or roughly 7 percent of national consumption.

The growth curve is steep and consistent: 147 terawatt hours in 2023, 178 in 2024, then projected jumps to 371 in 2027, 450 in 2028, and 513 in 2029 before reaching 606 in 2030. Meeting that demand could require $500 billion in new data center infrastructure along with expanded generation, grid capacity, and cooling systems. Generative AI alone could require 50 to 60 gigawatts of additional infrastructure.

The buildout faces practical constraints. Lead times to power new data centers in large markets such as Northern Virginia can exceed three years, and electrical equipment lead times run two years or more in some cases. After nearly two decades of flat US power demand, data center growth alone could account for 30 to 40 percent of all net new electricity demand through 2030, a load that runs constant and dense with little flexibility to curtail.

Source: Visual Capitalist - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-the-energy-demand-of-u-s-data-centers-2023-2030p/