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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories File photo of data centre in DublinAlamy Artificial Intelligence AI surge to double data centre electricity usage by 2030 Together, the United States, Europe, and China currently account for about 85% of data center consumption. 6.41am, 10 Apr 2025 Share options ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BY data centres will more than double by 2030, driven by artificial intelligence applications that will create new challenges for energy security and CO2 emission goals, the IEA has said. At the same time, AI can unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its first report on the energy implications of AI. Data centres represented about 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, but that has increased by 12% annually over the past five years. Generative AI requires colossal computing power to process information accumulated in gigantic databases. Together, the United States, Europe, and China currently account for about 85% of data center consumption. In Ireland, data centres and and any other new technology-related energy drains are forecast to account for 31% of electricity demand by 2034. EirGrid has been warning policymakers about an increasing tightness between supply and demand since 2016. Big tech companies increasingly recognise their growing need for power. Google last year signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power its part in the artificial intelligence race. Advertisement Microsoft is to use energy from new reactors at Three Mile Island, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident, when it went through a meltdown in 1979. Amazon also signed an accord last year to use nuclear power for its data centres. At the current rate, data centres will consume about 3% of global energy by 2030, the report said. According to the IEA, data centre electricity consumption will reach about 945 terawatt hours (TWH) by 2030. “This is slightly more than Japan’s total electricity consumption today. AI is the most important driver of this growth, alongside growing demand for other digital services,” said the report. One 100 megawatt data centre can use as much power as 100,000 households, the report said. But it highlighted that new data centres, already under construction, could use as much as two million households. The Paris-based energy policy advisory group said that “artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the energy sector in the coming decade, driving a surge in electricity demand from data centers worldwide, while also unlocking significant opportunities to cut costs, enhance competitiveness, and reduce emissions”. Hoping to keep ahead of China in the field of artificial intelligence, US President Donald Trump has launched the creation of a “National Council for Energy Dominance” tasked with boosting electricity production. Right now, coal provides about 30% of the energy needed to power data centres, but renewables and natural gas will increase their shares because of their lower costs and wider availability in key markets. The growth of data centers will inevitably increase carbon emissions linked to electricity consumption, from 180 million tonnes of CO2 today to 300 million tonnes by 2035, the IEA said. That remains a minimal share of the 41.6 billion tonnes of global emissions estimated in 2024. Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “AI surge to double data centre electricity usage by 2030”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “AI surge to double data centre electricity usage by 2030”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. 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