What AI Bubble? BNEF Outlook for Data Center Power Use Rises 36%

Massive electricity consumption from data centers that run AI has transformed the global energy landscape.

Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg

Power demand from US data centers is set to surge to 106 gigawatts by 2035, according to BloombergNEF, a 36% increase from the research provider’s previous outlook in April.

The upward revision in BNEF’s forecast is mainly driven by a wave of new early-stage data center projects. A gigawatt is roughly the output of a single nuclear reactor and can power around 750,000 US homes.