The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) reported on Wednesday that data centers in the United States could use up to 9% of the country's total electricity by the end of this decade, more than doubling their current consumption. This increase is driven by technology companies heavily investing in expanding their computing facilities.
The growth in electricity use by data centers depends on how quickly new technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI) are adopted and how energy-efficient new data centers are. EPRI's analysis shows that the annual growth rate of electricity use by data centers could range from 3.7% to 15% through 2030.
Data centers, along with domestic manufacturing expansion and the electrification of transportation, are ending two decades of flat growth in the U.S. electricity industry. New data centers require a significant amount of power, equivalent to the electricity needed to supply 750,000 homes. A doubling of power use by data centers could strain the U.S. electric grid, potentially leading to higher power bills and more frequent outages.
Since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, the data center industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. Early ChatGPT searches used about ten times more electricity than a typical Google search. The increasing use of AI to create movies and music could further increase power demands.
"With 5.3 billion global internet users, widespread adoption of these tools could potentially lead to a step change in power requirements," said EPRI. The institute recommends improving data center energy efficiency and investing more in the power grid.
In 2023, about 80% of the U.S. data center electricity load was concentrated in 15 states, mainly Virginia and Texas.
Key Points
Significant Increase in Power Use: Data centers in the U.S. could consume up to 9% of the country's total electricity by 2030, more than doubling their current usage due to the rapid expansion of technology and AI.
Strain on the Grid: Increased power needs from data centers could stress the electric grid, leading to higher electricity bills and more outages.
Importance of Efficiency: Improving energy efficiency in data centers and investing in the power grid are essential to handle the growing demand.
FAQs
Q: Why are data centers using more electricity?
Data centers are using more electricity because technology companies are expanding their facilities, and the use of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing.
Q: How much more electricity will data centers use by 2030?
By 2030, data centers in the U.S. could use up to 9% of the country’s total electricity, more than double their current usage.
Q: What impact will this have on the electric grid?
The increased power demand from data centers could strain the electric grid, leading to higher electricity bills and more frequent power outages.
Q: What role does AI play in data centers' electricity use?
AI technologies, especially generative AI, require significant computing power, which increases the electricity use of data centers.
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