research publication

IEA publishes Key Questions on Energy and AI, separating 2025 electricity estimates from 2030 projections

IEA report published 16 April 2026 estimates global electricity consumption of ALL data centres at 485 TWh in 2025 (+17% in 2025), while AI-focused centre demand grew +50% that year. The 2030 Base Case forecasts ~950 TWh/year for ALL data centres; AI-focused sites separately may triple 2025-2030. These are dated 2025 estimates and conditional forecasts, not 2030 observations or all AI-only power.