Data centers run cloud services by powering servers, storage, and networking equipment, then removing the heat those systems produce. Their total resource footprint includes electricity used on-site, water consumed by some cooling systems, and water used indirectly to supply electricity and manufacture chips. The amounts vary with workload, facility design, cooling technology, climate, and power supply.
What a data center does
A data center brings together servers, storage, and networking equipment with the supporting systems that keep them operating reliably. Servers process workloads and store data; networking equipment moves data among systems and out to users. Power distribution, cooling, and backup equipment support that computing work.
Facilities typically draw electricity from the grid and may use uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries and backup generators to maintain continuity during outages. These backup systems are part of reliability planning, even though they are rarely used.
How data centers use electricity
Electricity runs the computing equipment and the infrastructure that supports it. In modern data centers, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that servers account for around 60% of electricity demand on average. Storage accounts for about 5%, networking can account for up to 5%, and cooling ranges from around 7% in efficient hyperscale facilities to more than 30% in less-efficient enterprise facilities. These are estimates, not fixed shares for every site; facility type and installed equipment change the mix. IEA: Energy and AI
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Globally, data centers used an estimated 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024. In its 2025 base-case outlook, the IEA projects about 945 TWh in 2030. The 2030 number is a scenario, not a guaranteed forecast, and the agency notes substantial uncertainty around current and future demand. IEA: Energy and AI
Why demand is growing
In the United States, data-center electricity use rose 14% from 2023 to 2024, according to a 2025 update from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The report’s central estimate is that data centers could use 11.8% of U.S. electricity by 2030; its scenarios range from 9.5% to 15.3%. These are U.S.-specific estimates and projections, not global figures. LBNL attributes much of the projected growth to both more accelerated servers being shipped and higher power ratings per server. Efficiency improvements do not necessarily lower total electricity use if computing demand grows faster. U.S. Department of Energy summary of the LBNL report
Why cooling is necessary
Nearly all the electricity consumed by servers becomes heat. Cooling systems remove that heat and regulate temperature and humidity so equipment can keep operating. A facility’s cooling system may include air handling, chillers, heat exchangers, pumps, and controls; there is no single design used by all data centers.
Cooling affects resource use in two ways: it consumes electricity to move heat, and some systems consume water directly, often through evaporation. The balance depends on the cooling design and local climate. Water used to generate a facility’s electricity is an additional, indirect footprint.
Liquid cooling and its trade-offs
Liquid cooling moves heat using liquid near or at computing equipment rather than relying only on air-based systems. In a 2026 publication, the IEA estimates that liquid cooling could save around 8% of server energy and 30–40% of facility energy, corresponding to overall savings in the order of 10–21%. These are potential estimates, not guaranteed savings for a specific installation. The IEA says adoption remains limited by lack of standardization, high initial costs, and long-term reliability concerns. IEA: Energy demand from AI
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Where data-center water use comes from
Water can be used directly at a data center, particularly in cooling systems that evaporate water. There is also indirect water use beyond the facility: electricity supply can require water, and semiconductor manufacturing has a water footprint.
The IEA distinguishes withdrawals—water taken from surface water or groundwater—from consumption, the portion not returned to its original source after use, for example because it evaporates. A water figure is difficult to interpret without knowing which measure it reports and what activities it includes. IEA: Energy and AI
Global estimates and a modeled facility
The IEA estimates global data-center water consumption at about 560 billion litres per year currently and projects about 1,200 billion litres per year in its 2030 base case. In its estimated 2023 breakdown, about two-thirds was associated with primary energy supply and electricity generation, about one-quarter with direct cooling, and the remainder with chip manufacturing. These are modeled estimates that depend on assumptions about cooling technologies and water-use intensity. IEA: Energy and AI
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Local conditions matter alongside sector-wide totals. A facility may compete with municipal or agricultural needs in a water-stressed area even if data centers represent a modest share of withdrawals nationally.
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How to compare data-center resource claims
Two figures can look comparable while measuring different things. Before comparing facilities or sustainability claims, check the boundary, metric, date, and operating context:
- Boundary: Does the water figure cover only on-site cooling, or also water used in electricity generation and chip manufacturing?
- Metric: Is it reporting water withdrawals or consumption? Is electricity use an annual total, a peak figure, or a modeled estimate?
- Workload and scale: How much computing is being done, and what portion uses power-intensive accelerated servers?
- Cooling and climate: Is cooling evaporative, air-based, liquid-based, or a combination? What are local temperature and water conditions?
- Power supply: What electricity sources serve the facility, and what water footprint is associated with that mix?
- Efficiency and reliability: What cooling and facility-efficiency measures are reported, and what backup systems support continuity?
Without comparable boundaries, dates, and conditions, a ranking of facilities can mislead. Workload, equipment, cooling design, climate, and electricity supply all affect resource use.
Reporting and possible grid flexibility
An EU policy document says a delegated regulation adopted in January 2025 established an EU-wide sustainability rating scheme requiring data centers above 500 kW to report key performance indicators, including energy use, water consumption, heat reuse, and refrigerant type. The precise compliance details can depend on current implementation, so the policy document should not be treated as a substitute for checking the applicable rules. European Commission policy document
Data centers may also support grid flexibility through on-site battery storage, flexible cooling, shifting workloads over time, or relocating workloads. These measures can help under suitable conditions; they are not an automatic benefit of operating a data center.
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