U.S. Data Center Power Demand Projected to Reach 20% of Grid by 2035

BloombergNEF projects that U.S. data centers will consume about 20% of the country’s electricity by 2035, roughly 194 gigawatts—nearly double its December forecast and far beyond what the grid is expected to accommodate. To meet the surge, firms such as Elon Musk’s xAI have acquired mobile gas‑ and diesel‑generator operators and companies like Meta are deploying modular gas turbines, while Google has floated plans for a utility‑scale gas plant in Nebraska. Experts, however, warn that off‑grid gas solutions face tight turbine supply, a shortage of qualified personnel, and will still leave a projected 19‑gigawatt shortfall.

A concurrent industry guide from Insight Global highlights that the rapid expansion of data‑center capacity is now constrained more by power availability than by land, underscoring the centrality of energy challenges as AI and next‑generation connectivity drive demand.