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The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that from now until 2030, data centers are likely to account for about half of the growth in electricity demand in the United States. While economic growth and harsh winter conditions have increased heating demand, the main driver has been the surge in data center construction and the server infrastructure technology companies are deploying to train artificial intelligence models, according to Fortune.
According to the IEA, data centers accounted for about 50% of the incremental electricity demand in the United States over the past year. That increase far exceeded electricity usage gains in the residential, industrial, or transportation sectors.
Over the past year, local opposition has delayed or canceled at least 16 data center projects in the United States, with a total value of up to $64 billion.
The IEA also forecasts that from now to 2030, data centers will likely continue to account for about half of the growth in U.S. electricity demand. However, as electricity demand from the technology sector grows quickly, existing energy infrastructure faces mounting pressure, including transmission capacity constraints, supply challenges, and barriers related to community approval.
Globally, the data center build-out wave attracted more than $61 billion of investment in the past year, according to S&P Global’s December report. The United States and Canada accounted for more than $47 billion of that total.
The influx of capital has supported stock markets, improved profits for many companies, and helped create jobs in areas such as construction and engineering infrastructure.
As public sentiment toward AI shifts from enthusiasm to caution, backlash has begun to form, and data centers—often seen as emblematic of the AI boom—are increasingly becoming a focus of resistance. A Pew survey released last month found that while Americans still view data centers positively for potential job creation and increased local tax revenue, concerns about environmental costs and electricity consumption outweigh those benefits, resulting in a cautious, and in some cases negative, attitude toward new projects.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
