The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released a report estimating that data center energy usage will double or triple by 2028, up from 4.4% of total electricity consumption in 2023. The growth is attributed to increasing demand for artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and the electrification of various industries.
According to the report, data centers consumed approximately 58 TWh of electricity in 2014 and rose to 176 TWh by 2023. By 2028, energy usage is projected to increase between 325-580 TWh.
The DOE has developed strategies to address this growth, including enabling data center flexibility through onsite power generation and storage solutions, leveraging energy community opportunities, engaging with stakeholders on rate structures, and commercializing key technologies like geothermal and long-duration storage.
The department also provides resources such as the Electricity Demand Growth Resource Hub, which offers tools for data center owners and operators to support grid resilience.
Source: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-evaluating-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers