Gartner forecasts 26% rise in data centre electricity use by 2026

Gartner predicts global data‑centre electricity consumption will increase by 26 % in 2026, reaching 565 terawatt‑hours (TWh) and a power demand of about 132 gigawatts (GW). AI‑optimised servers are expected to account for roughly 31 % of total power use, with their consumption rising from 95 TWh in 2025 to 175 TWh in 2026 and 258 TWh by 2027. The firm projects total data‑centre electricity use could exceed 1,200 TWh by 2030, putting pressure on existing power grids and raising sustainability concerns. Gartner advises operators to improve efficiency through high‑efficiency cooling, better utilisation, and edge‑computing strategies to mitigate the growing energy demand.