How much electricity does AI consume?

5 hours ago

Data centers accounted for about 1.5% of global electricity use in 2025, with AI-specific centers using roughly 0.5%.
In the U.S., data centers consumed 5% of electricity, with highly concentrated demand in states like Virginia exceeding 25%.
By 2030, the IEA projects data centers will reach 3% of global electricity, driven largely by AI growth.
Individual chatbot queries consume little energy: about 0.1–0.6 Wh per text query, making hundreds daily minimal.
More complex AI tasks like agentic reasoning can use tens of watt-hours, adding noticeably to personal footprints.
A puzzle remains: only ~2% of AI data center power explains text queries; the rest may go to training, media generation, and embedded AI applications.
Geographic concentration of data centers strains local grids and resources, with issues like water use for cooling also significant.

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