US data centers consume 176 terawatt hours of electricity annually, about 4.4 percent of total national power use, according to research on the sector. More than 4,500 active facilities draw that load today, with over 700 additional data centers under construction across 38 states.

The growth trajectory is steep. In 2026, US data center demand is projected to rise to 75.8 gigawatts for IT equipment, cooling, lighting, and other uses, reflecting the buildout tied to artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Total US electricity consumption is expected to climb from about 4,110 billion kilowatt hours in 2024 to more than 4,260 billion kilowatt hours in 2026, and data centers account for a significant share of that incremental demand.

The concentration of new construction across 38 states shows how widely the buildout has spread beyond traditional hubs. AI workloads in particular require dense computing power and continuous operation, which lifts both the total energy draw and the steadiness of that draw around the clock.

The numbers establish a baseline for the sector's footprint. At 4.4 percent of national electricity and rising, data centers have become a measurable factor in US power planning, with the 700 plus facilities under construction signaling continued expansion.

Source: World Resources Institute -- https://www.wri.org/insights/us-data-centers-electricity-demand