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Data centers used an estimated 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity worldwide in 2024, about 1.5% of global electricity use, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA’s Base Case projects around 945 TWh in 2030. For an individual facility, energy use is measured across a defined boundary and period; Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) compares total facility energy with energy used by IT equipment.

How much electricity do data centers use?

These figures are estimates of electricity consumption, not measurements from a single global meter. Their scope and modeling methods differ, so global and national totals should not be treated as directly interchangeable.

Geography and period Estimated electricity use What the figure means
Global, 2024 415 TWh; around 1.5% of global electricity use IEA estimate published in 2025. IEA, Energy and AI executive summary
Global, 2030 Around 945 TWh IEA Base Case projection, not a metered result or certainty. IEA, Energy and AI executive summary
United States, 2024 192 TWh; 4.7% of U.S. electricity consumption DOE estimate published in 2025. It covers servers, storage, network equipment and infrastructure, and excludes cryptocurrency mining. DOE, 2025 update
United States, 2030 649 TWh reference case; 521–843 TWh uncertainty scenarios DOE forecast scenarios published in 2025, not observed consumption. DOE, 2025 update

Data-center electricity use is geographically concentrated. In the IEA’s 2024 estimate, the United States accounted for 45% of global data-center electricity use, China 25%, and Europe 15%. These are shares of data-center electricity use worldwide—not the share of each region’s own electricity supply. The IEA also reports that nearly half of U.S. data-center capacity is in five regional clusters, so national totals can obscure local grid impacts. IEA, Energy and AI executive summary

How are data-center energy estimates made?

National totals are modeled from information about equipment and facilities; they are not necessarily compiled by adding readings from every data center. The DOE’s 2025 U.S. update uses a bottom-up model combining planned shipments of IT equipment, modeled annual electricity use per device, cooling-system performance simulations, and information about facility type and location. Its revised 2024 estimate reflects updated equipment shipment data and power-use assumptions. The report excludes cryptocurrency mining. DOE, 2025 update

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The IEA’s global analysis also provides estimates and scenario forecasts. Future consumption depends on factors including AI accelerator deployment, hardware and software efficiency, and the practical limits on building data centers and supplying them with power. A forecast should therefore always be read with its year, geography, source, and scenario attached. IEA, Energy demand from AI

How do you measure energy use at a data center?

Facility measurement begins by defining what is inside the data-center boundary and the period being measured. Operators need corresponding readings for total energy used by the facility and energy used by its IT equipment. The boundary and reporting period must be consistent for the comparison to be meaningful.

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Monitored rack power distribution units (PDUs) can provide rack- or outlet-level readings for IT equipment. ENERGY STAR describes comparing PDU-reported rack power with building-level power use in a PUE calculation. Rack readings alone do not establish the facility’s total energy use or ensure a standards-conforming result: the measurement points, boundary, and period must all line up. ENERGY STAR, Reduce Energy Losses from PDUs

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What is PUE, and how is it calculated?

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) compares total data-center facility energy with IT equipment energy over the same period and boundary:

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PUE = total data-center facility energy ÷ IT equipment energy

A lower PUE means less non-IT facility energy is used relative to IT energy within the reported measurement boundary. PUE is useful for understanding infrastructure overhead; it does not show how much useful computing work the servers deliver. It is not, by itself, a measure of a data center’s absolute electricity demand or a sound basis for comparing facilities running different workloads.

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The current edition, ISO/IEC 30134-2:2026, specifies PUE measurement categories and requirements for measurement, calculation, reporting, and interpretation. Its overview also addresses mixed-use buildings, on-site generation, and unmeasured energy. The standard does not prescribe a universal PUE target, and its public listing is not a substitute for the full standard text. See the ISO standard overview for edition details.

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