Data Centre Electricity Use Predicted to Surge by 2050
Data centre server electricity use to hit 33% of commercial use by 2050
Image: Asianet Newsable
Electricity consumption by data centre servers is projected to rise significantly, potentially accounting for 22% to 33% of total commercial building electricity use by 2050, according to the US Energy Information Administration. This increase is largely driven by the growing demand for AI infrastructure and intensive cooling requirements.
- 01Electricity consumption by data centre servers could reach between 446 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) and 818 billion BkWh by 2050.
- 02Standalone data centres are projected to consume 581 BkWh of electricity from servers alone under the High Electricity Demand scenario.
- 03In 2025, servers are estimated to account for 7% of total commercial sector electricity consumption.
- 04The commercial sector's electricity intensity is expected to peak between 2031 and 2032, surpassing the historical high of 14.9 kWh per square foot from 2003.
- 05Cooling systems for data centres are projected to be 2.9 times more energy-intensive than non-data centre commercial spaces.
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The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that electricity consumption by data centre servers will significantly increase, potentially reaching 22% to 33% of total commercial building electricity use by 2050. This surge is driven by the growing deployment of servers, particularly for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The report indicates that server electricity consumption could range from 446 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) to 818 billion BkWh across various scenarios, with standalone data centres alone projected to consume 581 BkWh under the High Electricity Demand scenario. Additionally, the commercial sector's electricity intensity is anticipated to peak between 2031 and 2032, exceeding the historical high of 14.9 kWh per square foot recorded in 2003. This increase in energy consumption is attributed to both the rising demand for data centre operations and the intensive cooling requirements necessary to maintain efficient server performance. Despite expected improvements in server efficiency post-2040, overall electricity consumption is still projected to rise due to the continued growth in server installations.
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The rising electricity consumption by data centres could lead to increased energy costs for commercial buildings, affecting businesses and potentially leading to higher prices for consumers.
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