US data center power demand is on track to roughly double over a two-year span, rising from 31 gigawatts in 2025 to 41 gigawatts in 2026 and 66 gigawatts the following year, according to Goldman Sachs analysis. The projection translates into data centers claiming a fast-growing slice of the nation peak power needs.

The share of US data centers in total peak summer power demand is forecast to rise from 4.1 percent in 2025 to 5.3 percent in 2026, then to 8.5 percent the year after. That escalation places data centers among the most significant new sources of load growth on the US grid in decades.

The installed base is already substantial. More than 4,500 active facilities consume roughly 176 terawatt-hours annually, about 4.4 percent of US electricity, with over 700 additional facilities under construction across 38 states. The construction pipeline points to continued rapid additions to both capacity and consumption.

The figures highlight a widening gap between how fast computing load is growing and how quickly new generation can be built. Natural gas, nuclear, and renewable projects all face multi-year development timelines, while data center campuses can be built in a fraction of that time. The mismatch has pushed utilities, regulators, and operators to negotiate new arrangements for who funds and who receives the power, a tension now playing out in statehouses and utility commissions across the country.

Source: Goldman Sachs -- https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/us-data-center-power-demand-projected-to-double-by-2027