Look beyond
the headline.
Data centres used about 415 TWh in 2024. The IEA projects demand more than doubling by 2030. Efficiency and new generation matter, but so do the timing of demand and local grid capacity.
- 01Keep electricity demand separate from carbon emissions.
- 02Distinguish annual energy matching from hourly supply.
- 03Look at grid capacity and impacts on local ratepayers.
What the figure
can tell us.
IEA projection for global data-centre electricity demand. This includes more than AI, and is a forecast rather than a measurement.
Read IEA, Energy and AI, 2025 ↗Demand is growing. The future is a projection.
Global data-centre electricity demand: 415 TWh in 2024, projected to reach about 945 TWh in 2030. This includes data centres serving uses beyond AI.
IEA · Energy and AI (2025) ↗Read the source for its methods and limits. A published estimate, observed result and future projection answer different questions. The research figures describe this topic; they are not learner scores.
A benefit.
A consequence.
What it can give
Flexible computing workloads can shift to times with more available clean power. Better chips and cooling can deliver more useful work for each unit of electricity.
What it can cost
New load competes with other uses of the grid. Contracts for future renewable generation do not by themselves establish the hourly electricity mix of a facility operating today.
The judgement depends on context. Which effects matter most, who experiences them, and what evidence would change the decision?