Data Centres: How Much Power Does the Digital World Use?

In 2024, data centres consumed an estimated 415 TWh of electricity, which is around 1.5% of global usage. Data centres power use, The IEA forecasts that this amount will more than double to around 945 TWh by 2030, approximately equal to Japan’s current consumption.
What About India?
India is expected to increase its data centre capacity from about 1.2 GW in 2025 to about 10 GW in 2030, which will result in an increase in electricity consumption from 10-15 TWh to 40-45 TWh in this period. The CEA has asked states to consider data centre demand in energy planning.
Where Does the Power Go?
According to the IEA, coal makes up about 30% of the energy used in data centres around the globe. India typically uses traditional air cooling in data centres, which consumes around 40% of the total electricity used in the facility.
Is It a Climate Problem? – data centres power use
According to the IEA, data centres will account for less than 10% of the expected rise of demand for energy worldwide until 2030, while transportation, industry and air conditioning will require more. It warns of substantial uncertainty, and AI servers made up about 15 percent of data centre energy use in 2024.
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