America's Data Center Boom Strains Power Grid as AI Demands Surge

The U.S. is planning nearly 3,000 new data centers to fuel the AI boom, but the power infrastructure to supply them is fast becoming the limiting factor, not money or engineering. According to recent analysis, data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, representing more than 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption. That figure is projected to more than double to 426 terawatt-hours by 2030—a 133% increase driven entirely by artificial intelligence and cloud computing demands.