US data center electricity use could more than double to 426 TWh by 2030: report

Data centers built to run AI and other digital services are using a fast-growing share of the country's electricity and water, according to a new report from the Kansas Health Institute. US data centers used an estimated 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, more than 4% of total US electricity use, and that figure could more than double to 426 terawatt-hours by 2030. Right now, the power running these facilities comes 56% from fossil fuels, 22% from renewables, and 21% from nuclear.

Water use is climbing too. Data centers directly used about 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, and that could double or quadruple by 2028. One in five US data centers already sits in an area with water stress. The report warns that this growth is delaying coal plant closures and slowing state and local efforts to shift to cleaner power, since renewable supply isn't keeping pace with demand from both data centers and existing electricity users.

For homeowners, this doesn't change anything about your house directly, but it's part of the backdrop behind rising demand on the grid and growing debate over who bears the cost and environmental impact of new data center construction. New York recently became the first state to pause large data center construction for a year while it studies the effects. Other states and local governments are responding differently, some focused on economic development, others on zoning, land use, and protecting local resources, so what this means where you live will depend on your state and community.