AI Data Center Power Demand to Double by 2030

The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity demand for AI data centers will nearly double from 485 TWh in 2025 to 950 TWh by 2030. This surge is driven primarily by hyperscalers including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, leading several companies to secure long-term nuclear power agreements to ensure reliability.

In the United States, this growth is concentrated in Texas, Georgia, central Ohio, and Northern Virginia. The increased load has triggered rising residential electricity bills, sparking political backlash. In Ohio, 39 local ballot measures across eight states have emerged to address data center zoning and construction.

To protect residential consumers, regulators in Virginia and Ohio have introduced large-load tariffs that force data centers to fund a significant portion of the grid upgrades they necessitate. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed a federal bill to mandate similar cost-sharing nationwide, the legislation has stalled in the Senate.