AI infrastructure expansion drives global energy and power shifts

AI infrastructure data center energy demand gas-fired power capacity global computing race electricity consumption

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is driving a global surge in energy and infrastructure demand, creating significant shifts in power generation and computing strategies. In China, datacenters are projected to quadruple their electricity consumption by 2030, reaching 774 TWh—a level that would exceed the current total electricity consumption of South Korea. To manage this, China is adopting a ‘compute follows power’ approach, relocating facilities to western provinces with abundant renewable energy.

In the United States, the energy response is centered on natural gas. The US is currently building twice as much gas-fired power capacity as China to support the explosive growth of AI data centers. In the first half of 2026, US gas-fired capacity in development surged by 50%, reaching 378 gigawatts, with nearly 189 gigawatts specifically intended for data centers.

However, the scale of announced infrastructure projects faces significant execution risks. Analysis from the Uptime Institute reveals that of 479 large-scale datacentre projects announced globally between 2021 and 2025, 40% are stalled or delayed, 9% have been cancelled, and only 10% have at least one building in operation as of July 2026. This uncertainty regarding project viability and future demand poses challenges for energy and water infrastructure planning worldwide.

Entities

Brazil · Cade · China · Hugging Face · Kunal Panchamia · OpenAI · South Korea · Stripe · United Nations · United States · Uptime Institute · Wood Mackenzie

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] According to the World Economic Forum, 39% of workers' core skills are expected to change by 2030. allwork.space
[○ 1 SOURCE] Of 479 large global datacentre projects announced between 2021 and 2025, only 10% have at least one building in operation as of July 2026. cybernoz.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] 40% of announced large-scale datacentre projects are stalled or delayed, while 9% have been cancelled. cybernoz.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] US gas-fired capacity in development surged by 50% in the first half of 2026, reaching 378 gigawatts. www.chiangraitimes.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Datacenters are projected to account for 6% of China's total electricity consumption by 2030 and up to 17% by 2060. newsmonkey.be · www.techradar.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The United States is building twice as much gas-fired power capacity as China to meet the energy demands of AI data centers. www.chiangraitimes.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Chinese datacenters are expected to quadruple their electricity consumption by 2030, reaching 774 TWh, which would exceed South Korea's current total consumption. newsmonkey.be · www.techradar.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The World Economic Forum estimates that 92 million roles will be displaced by 2030 due to technological and economic shifts. www.kdnuggets.com