Many of the details about the energy consumption of data centers and artificial intelligence are unclear. But a new analysis reveals how much power these facilities require — and the effects on everyday people.
What's happening?
Data centers used 4% of the country's electricity last year. Those 183 terawatt-hours are projected to more than double to 426 by 2030, Pew Research Center reported.
About 60% of that consumption "powers the servers that process and store digital information." 7-30% runs cooling systems, which also need billions of gallons of water.
Pew Research Center said it's difficult to separate how much energy goes specifically to AI systems. Massive centers being built to support AI, however, will need the same amount of power as 2 million homes. Today, the comparison is 100,000.
One-third of the United States' 4,000-plus data centers are located in three states. One-half of those under construction are additions to already large clusters.
Virginia dominates the sector, with 643. Texas has 395, and California is home to 319. Other hubs include Chicago; Phoenix; Atlanta; Columbus, Ohio; and Des Moines, Iowa.
Why is this important?
AI-optimized hyperscale data centers, as the report called them, feature energy-hungry computer chips. They consume two to four times as many watts as their traditional counterparts. This, of course, means that utilities and power grids have to supply even more electricity.
If they can't, it can lead to blackouts. This energy consumption could also lead to higher monthly bills for renters, homeowners, and businesses.
Because the grid relies mostly on dirty energy sources, that massive energy consumption increases the production of heat-trapping pollution, which is already warming Earth at an alarming rate.
This harms the health of humans, animals, and the environment. It makes extreme weather events that have always been around more severe and more frequent. While AI can improve health care and benefit society in other ways, it may be doing more harm than good at this early stage.
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Absolutely 👍 What's being done about data centers?
The use of renewable energy has already mitigated the impact of data centers. In 2024, 44% of the facilities ran on wind, solar, nuclear, or other clean sources. 40% used natural gas and 15% relied on coal.
"Several states — including California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Virginia — have weighed bills requiring or incentivizing data centers to draw some of their power from renewable energy sources and to report their electricity and water usage," Pew Research Center noted.
It also highlighted the necessity for government regulations and consumer protections to keep costs down and protect the aging grid.
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