Data Center Energy Demand Could Triple by 2028, Government Report Warns [Video]

Electricity use by data centers in the U.S. could nearly triple over the coming three years according to a new study by the Department of Energy, the latest indicator of a coming boom in power demand as tech companies add computing power to drive artificial intelligence.

The report released Friday from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that data center energy use tripled over the past decade and is expected to either double or triple again by 2028.

Data centers consumed about 4.4 percent of all the electricity produced in the country in 2023, the study found, and they are expected to consume approximately 6.7 to 12 percent of total electricity by 2028.

The DOE report is the latest projection showing a sharp increase in power demand by data centers. A September reportby consulting giant McKinsey & Company found data center energy use could grow to consume 11 to 12 percent of U.S. power by 2030. In May, the …