AI's Growing Appetite for Power Pushes Data Centers Past 6% of UK and US Electricity Use

Data centers now consume 6% of all electricity in both the UK and the US, according to new research from the International Data Center Association (IDCA), as the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure strains national grids and sparks community backlash. Global investment in these facilities is approaching $1 trillion annually - nearly 1% of the world economy - and power usage has jumped 15% in just two years. The UK, where developers face multi-year waits for grid connections, and the US both far exceed the global average of 2%. Singapore and Lithuania are hit even harder, with data centers accounting for 19% and 11% of national power use, respectively.

The IDCA warns that once a country's data center footprint hits 5% of grid consumption, political and community pushback intensifies. In the UK, the queue to connect to the grid grew 460% in the first half of 2025 alone. Greenpeace UK's chief scientist, Doug Parr, cautions against an "unchecked AI boom" that could drive up energy bills, stress water supplies, and extend the life of fossil-fuel plants. He calls for mandatory environmental impact assessments and a ban on new polluting plants built to power AI.

The IDCA also highlights a hidden inefficiency: 13% of US data center consumption comes from "zombie" services - apps left running but never used, wasting over 3 gigawatts. Physical security has emerged as a new threat, with recent attacks on Middle East data centers forcing operators to treat cybersecurity and physical protection as a single, unified strategy. With roughly 10,000 data centers worldwide - including Microsoft's massive 1. 2 million-square-foot facility in Wisconsin - the pressure on energy systems shows no sign of easing.

Source: The Guardian