AI is driving the fastest growth in data-center electricity use on record. Here's what the official numbers say, where the "100% renewable" claims fall short, and what it means for Phoenix and San Diego.
Global data-center electricity use in 2024, about 1.5% of the world's total.[1]
IEA Base Case for 2030, more than double 2024 and just under 3% of global use.[1]
Share of U.S. electricity used by data centers in 2023 (176 TWh).[3]
Projected U.S. share by 2028 (325–580 TWh).[4]
Global data-center electricity use has grown about 12% a year over the last five years, and the IEA expects roughly 15% a year from 2024 to 2030, more than four times faster than all other sectors.[1] Its 2026 update keeps the 2030 figure near 950 TWh and estimates 2025 use at 485 TWh.[2]
In the U.S., data-center use was stable near 60 TWh from 2014 to 2016, then climbed to 176 TWh by 2023 as GPU-accelerated AI servers spread.[3] The IEA says data centers account for nearly half of U.S. electricity demand growth to 2030, and that by 2030 the U.S. will use more electricity processing data than making aluminium, steel, cement and chemicals combined.[1]
New load has to come from somewhere. The IEA expects natural gas to supply about 175 TWh of added data-center demand to 2035, notably in the U.S.[1]
U.S. data centers consumed about 66 billion liters (≈17.4 billion gallons) of water directly in 2023, and 84% of that was in hyperscale and colocation facilities.[3]
The bigger number is indirect: nearly 800 billion liters were consumed generating their electricity, about 4.52 liters per kWh.[3] Hyperscale sites alone could consume 60–124 billion liters directly by 2028.[3]
Most "100% renewable" claims rely on market-based accounting: companies buy renewable energy certificates to match their consumption, even when the power they physically draw comes from a fossil-heavy local grid.[5]
A Guardian analysis of location-based figures found that from 2020 to 2022, emissions from the in-house data centers of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple were probably about 662% (7.62 times) higher than officially reported.[5] That is one outlet's analysis, not an audit, but it shows how much depends on the accounting method.
Ask: what's the location-based number, and is the clean power hourly-matched on the same grid?
APS has been asked for an additional 17,000 MW for data centers, and SRP estimates it would need 12,000 MW of new power. Both utilities set demand records in July 2025 (APS 8,527 MW, SRP 8,324 MW).[6]
SRP forecasts about 2,200 MW of new data-center load between 2025 and 2035.[7] Ceres estimates regional data centers use almost 3.3 billion gallons of water a year (about 3.4% of Phoenix's 2019 water use), rising to about 18.1 billion gallons if planned facilities come online.[8]
The nearest flashpoint is in neighboring Imperial County. On Sept 9, 2026, a judge overturned the county's approval of a nearly 1-million-square-foot data-center complex and ordered a full CEQA environmental review. The case was brought by the city of Imperial and the Sierra Club.[9]
The project includes a large battery system, natural-gas generators and a new substation next to a residential neighborhood. The developer says he'll seek a new trial or appeal.[9]
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