What impact does AI have on electricity consumption?
New figures show that AI applications are driving data center electricity consumption to record levels.
July 30, 2026
Source: E & M powernews
A picture is worth a thousand words: In a recent infographic, we regularly highlight figures from the energy sector.
According to the Statistical Review of World Energy, data centers consumed nearly 788 terawatt-hours of electricity last year—a 20 percent increase over the previous year. Compared to 2020, demand has nearly doubled, as shown in the Statista chart. To get a sense of the scale, it helps to look at Germany’s electricity consumption. According to the Federal Environment Agency, this amounted to 526 terawatt-hours in 2025.
The data centers with the highest electricity consumption are located in the U.S. and China—together, these two countries account for two-thirds of total electricity consumption. The most significant driver of this trend in recent years has been the sharp increase in the use of artificial intelligence.
Author: E & M Editorial Team
