AI's growing electricity demand: Data-center investment hits $580bn as environmental footprint remains underestimated
Summary
AI-driven data-center investment reached USD580bn in 2025, making AI one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand globally. Installed capacity is expected to double by 2030, with AI workloads already consuming 15–20% of data-center electricity and potentially approaching 40% by decade's end. The analysis argues that the sector's environmental footprint is underestimated because most studies focus only on operational electricity use, ignoring lifecycle emissions. It takes a broader systems view across 26 countries representing 93% of global capacity.
Source
bskyAI's growing electricity demand: Data-center investment hits $580bn as environmental footprint remains underestimatedallianz-trade.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledData-center investment reached USD580bn in 2025, putting AI on track to become one of the world's fastest-growing sources of electricity demand.
AI workloads already accounting for 15–20% of data-center electricity use and potentially approaching 40% by the end of the decade.
Yet the sector's environmental footprint remains underestimated as most analyses focus only on operational electricity use.
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