Five graphs to situate data center power consumption

Data centers currently account for just over 1% of global electricity demand and 0.5% of CO2 emissions. Projections place the shift around 2030.

Faced with contradictory announcements on the energy cost of artificial intelligence, Carbon Brief has gathered the available data to put the debate back on a numerical basis. The initial observation tempers the most alarmist speeches: data centers currently account for a little more than 1% of global electricity demand and about 0.5% of global CO2 emissions.

This is the trajectory that is more worrying than the current level. Global electricity demand from data centers, in the range of 460 to 490 TWh in 2025, could roughly double by 2030, with most of this growth coming from AI-related workloads. In the International Energy Agency's central scenario, the sector's emissions would reach 1% of the global total in 2030, and up to 1.4% under a faster growth assumption.

The sticking point is the electricity mix. Despite the increase in renewables and nuclear power, gas and coal are still expected to be used to absorb this additional demand: the IEA estimates that around 40% of the additional consumption of data centres will still be covered by fossil sources by 2030.