US data center power demand projected to surge 755% by 2029, creating a 57-gigawatt shortfall that could constrain AI infrastructure buildout.
Macro & Markets ·
US data center IT power demand is projected to reach 78.57 gigawatts by 2029, a 755% increase from 2025 levels, while the nation faces a potential 57-gigawatt shortfall between required capacity and available supply. With demand expected to nearly double this year and double again in 2027, infrastructure planners have only 21 gigawatts under construction and 19 gigawatts of grid capacity available to meet a total requirement of 97 gigawatts during 2026–2028. Advanced AI server architectures are anticipated to drive power consumption up 5x between 2025 and 2028, intensifying a mismatch between electricity demand and grid expansion capacity.