Data centres use electricity to run computing equipment and the systems that keep it operating; cooling removes the heat that equipment produces and may consume water directly; and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries and standby generators help maintain power during outages. The amounts vary widely by facility, location, cooling design and electricity supply.
Where a data centre’s electricity goes
Data-centre electricity runs both information technology (IT) equipment and facility systems. Servers process and store data; they can contain CPUs and specialized accelerators such as GPUs. Storage devices and networking equipment also need power, as do cooling and environmental-control systems.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that data centres worldwide used about 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024—around 1.5% of global electricity consumption. It estimates that data-centre electricity use grew by 12% per year over the preceding five years. These are global estimates, not a measure of any one operator or site. IEA, Energy and AI (2025)
Typical electricity use by system
The IEA’s approximate breakdown for modern data centres shows why there is no single fixed share for every facility:
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- Servers: around 60% of electricity on average.
- Storage: around 5%.
- Networking: up to 5%.
- Cooling: about 7% in efficient hyperscale facilities, but over 30% in less-efficient enterprise facilities.
These figures vary with facility type and installed equipment. Cooling keeps temperatures and humidity within operating conditions; its share is not a universal constant.
What PUE tells you
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) compares a facility’s total power use with the power used by its IT equipment. A PUE of 2 means the facility uses twice as much power in total as its IT equipment uses. PUE is a facility-efficiency ratio: it does not state a sector’s total electricity use or its water use. The Congressional Research Service overview of data centres explains the metric and facility systems.
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How much electricity might data centres use next?
Forecasts depend on geography and assumptions, so global and U.S. estimates should not be read as competing figures for the same area. The IEA’s global Base Case estimates about 945 TWh of data-centre electricity use in 2030, just under 3% of projected global electricity consumption. It also presents alternative cases because AI adoption, hardware efficiency and infrastructure constraints remain uncertain.
For the United States, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s June 2026 update gives a 2030 reference estimate of 649 TWh, with a compounded-uncertainty range of 521–843 TWh. It estimates data centres could account for 11.8% of U.S. electricity use in 2030, with scenario estimates ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%. These are modeled projections, not measured future consumption. LBNL, 2026 U.S. data-centre energy-use update
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How data centres use water
Water use has two distinct boundaries. Direct water is consumed onsite, often by cooling systems that use evaporation to transfer heat. Cooling towers replenish water lost to evaporation, while blowdown removes water in which minerals and other contaminants have become concentrated. Indirect water is consumed in generating the electricity that powers the facility.
The two footprints can change in different directions: a cooling design may reduce onsite water use while increasing electricity demand, for example, and the water used to generate that electricity depends on the power supply. LBNL models water use based on onsite cooling, electricity generation, location, cooling design and power-supply scenarios. A water figure is most useful when it states which boundary it covers. LBNL data-centre water-use modeling
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Why location and cooling design matter
Climate, local water stress, computing density and the electricity mix all affect the resource footprint. Cooling methods can include direct liquid cooling near high-performance computing equipment, air handling that conditions room air, or free cooling that takes advantage of favorable outdoor conditions in some climates or seasons. Facilities can combine approaches; there is no universally best method based on water use alone.
To compare cooling options, consider onsite water consumed, cooling electricity use, water consumed by the electricity supply, local water stress and the facility’s heat load. A 2021 study by LBNL researchers found that one-fifth of U.S. data-centre servers’ direct water footprint was in moderately to highly water-stressed watersheds, and nearly half were fully or partly powered by plants in water-stressed regions. This is a finding from that study and year, not a current census of all U.S. facilities. LBNL-affiliated study (2021)
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A household comparison, with limits
The Congressional Research Service relays an IEA illustration that a 100-megawatt U.S. data centre could consume direct water comparable to about 2,600 households, averaged across cooling strategies. Including indirect water used in power generation, the comparison is about 6,500 households. These are contextual comparisons attributed by CRS to the IEA’s 2025 report, not estimates that apply to every 100-megawatt facility. Congressional Research Service overview
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How backup power works
Data centres are designed for high availability, so they use backup systems to bridge or sustain power interruptions. A UPS provides a battery-backed continuity and power-conditioning layer. Standby generators can supply electricity for longer interruptions. The exact electrical arrangement varies by facility; UPS strategies range from full standby to active regeneration.
The IEA says UPS batteries and backup generators are rarely used, but necessary for the high reliability data centres must meet. Their purpose is not routine computing: they support continuity when the normal power supply is disrupted. IEA, Energy and AI (2025)
Why no single footprint applies to every data centre
A facility’s electricity, water and backup needs depend on its computing equipment and workload, site conditions, cooling system, power supply and reliability design. Global and national estimates describe broad patterns; they cannot specify the use of a particular campus or operator. When evaluating a claim about a data centre, check whether it describes direct or indirect water, which electricity boundary it uses, and whether a figure is measured, modeled or projected.
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