Signal Global data centre electricity use projected to rise from about 300 TWh in 2023 to over 1,500 TWh by 2030

Summary

The report cites the IMF's Finance and Development magazine of December 2025 on the electricity needs of data centres. Global data centre power consumption was about 300 terawatt-hours in 2023. It is projected to rise to more than 1,500 terawatt-hours by 2030, roughly a fivefold increase within seven years. The report uses the projection to show how AI adoption is multiplying the power demand of computing infrastructure. It frames the figure as the backdrop for global competition to secure energy and for efficiency-focused infrastructure policy.