Gartner forecasts 26% rise in data center electricity use

Gartner has announced a new forecast that global data center electricity consumption will grow 26% in 2026, reaching 565 TWh, driven by AI workloads.

• Gartner said global data center electricity consumption is projected to rise from 447 TWh in 2025 to 565 TWh in 2026, with AI-optimized servers accounting for 31% of data center power consumption in 2026.
• The company also forecast 132 GW of worldwide data center power demand in 2026, rising to 290 GW by 2030, and said grid supply will be insufficient, prompting calls for efficiency upgrades, secure grid access, high-efficiency cooling systems, and edge computing.

This is a first-time forecast announcement from Gartner, not a report of a completed deal or project. The release also points clients to a Gartner forecast document and mentions upcoming Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conferences in London, Tokyo, and Las Vegas.