Data Centers End Two Decades of Flat U.S. Electricity Demand

For nearly twenty years, overall electricity consumption in the United States stayed essentially flat. The population and the number of businesses continued to grow, yet more efficient use of electricity by Americans offset all that added demand. Data centers have disrupted this equilibrium. A single large facility can draw as much power as a small city, and the rapid pace of construction has caught utilities off guard. In response, utility companies are now planning for significantly higher electricity needs than they had previously projected. This marks a fundamental shift in U.S. energy demand, driven by the physical infrastructure of the digital economy. The change is forcing a rethinking of load forecasts and future power supply strategies.