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In just three years, the world’s data centers have doubled their electricity consumption — and by 2026 they will burn as much electricity as all of Japan just to sustain the artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies that have dominated the internet
AI data centers are on the verge of transforming the planet’s energy map. According to the Electricity 2024 – Analysis and Forecast to 2026 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electricity consumption of these centers could exceed 1,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2026 — equivalent to the total consumption of the world’s third-largest economy, Japan.
In 2022, the figure was 460 TWh, equivalent to 2% of global electricity demand. For 2026, the IEA projects a base scenario between 650 and 1,050 TWh, with the most likely version above one thousand. In other words, consumption practically doubles in just four years.
The main driver of this explosion is artificial intelligence. Indeed, large generative models — such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok — require graphics processing units (GPUs) operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Compared to the pre-AI internet, each query made by common users consumes up to 10 times more energy than a traditional Google search.
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