AI Data Centers Are Boiling the Grid: Skyrocketing Energy & Cooling Needs Threaten Power Supplies and Climate
AI-driven growth of hyperscale data centers is driving unprecedented power use – global data-center electricity demand is projected to double by 2030 (reaching ~945 TWh) carbonbrief.org. Cutting-edge AI chips draw up to 1,200 watts each, so new racks can exceed 100 kW, far above historical norms spectrum.ieee.org. This surge is straining grids: U.S. utilities report contracts for 47 GW of new data centers (over Virginia’s entire current load) reuters.com. Environmental impacts include rising carbon and huge water use: data centers now consume ~1% of global power carbonbrief.org, and large AI sites can use millions of gallons of water per day