Datacentres Now Consume 6% of Electricity in UK and US as AI Drives Global Energy Use

Datacentres Now Consume 6% of Electricity in UK and US as AI Drives Global Energy Use
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Datacentres are consuming approximately 6% of national electricity in both the UK and the US, according to research by the International Data Center Authority (IDCA), raising concerns over energy strain caused by the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing.

Globally, datacentre energy use has risen 15% over the past two years, with annual investment approaching $1 trillion, nearly 1% of the global economy, The Guardian reported.

The report warns that community and political resistance often emerges once datacentres exceed 5% of national grid consumption, as seen in the UK and US. Countries such as Singapore and Lithuania face even higher burdens, with 19% and 11% of grid energy consumed, respectively. Rising demand has led to long delays for grid connections, highlighting infrastructure stress.

Environmental groups like Greenpeace UK have cautioned that an unchecked AI expansion could increase energy bills, water use, and reliance on fossil fuels, urging transparency, environmental assessments, and bans on polluting power plants.

The IDCA report also notes inefficiencies, with 13% of US datacentre energy consumed by unused “zombie” services, and growing cybersecurity and physical security threats, including attacks on datacentres in the Middle East, emphasizing their status as critical infrastructure.

Worldwide, there are now about 10,000 datacentres, including Microsoft’s Mount Pleasant facility in Wisconsin, billed as the world’s most powerful.