Data center power consumption surge driven by AI training and inference workloads reaches critical scale.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is driving a surge in electricity demand from data centers worldwide. Global data center power consumption has nearly doubled in recent years, reaching almost 800 terawatt-hours in 2025, compared to just over 400 terawatt-hours in 2020—exceeding the annual electricity consumption of Germany, the world's third largest economy.

The United States dominates as the largest data center market, with electricity demand exceeding 300 terawatt-hours in 2025. China ranks second and has experienced similarly strong growth, while Europe and other regions are also seeing steady increases, though at lower levels.

This expansion underscores a growing challenge for the digital economy. As demand for computing power rises—largely driven by AI and cloud services—the environmental footprint of data centers continues to expand, placing greater pressure on the need for reliable and sustainable power supplies. The development of renewable energy and storage capacity will prove crucial in meeting the sector's rising energy needs. Looking ahead, data center electricity consumption is projected to double again by 2030 to more than 1,500 terawatt-hours, equivalent to the total residential electricity consumption of the United States in 2025.