The AI boom is gobbling up power faster than ever

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Data center power use varies based on factors including the types and frequency of use of servers, cooling systems, and other infrastructure. To account for this, Business Insider calculated a range of estimated annual data center electricity use. In our data visualizations, we used the midpoint of that range for clarity.

Business Insider’s analysis is dependent on estimating data centers’ electricity use based on the number and type of backup generators installed at each facility. Where developers are building entire power plants, some are forgoing installing backup generators altogether. As a result, Business Insider’s electricity estimates are certainly an undercount, as facilities known to be huge and built with dedicated on-site or nearby power generation, such as xAI’s data center complex in Memphis, Tennessee, or Meta’s Hyperion Campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana, appear far smaller in Business Insider’s analysis, due to a lack of permitted backup diesel generators.

Amazon said Business Insider’s methodology is misleading because it includes a range of electricity estimates. QTS said the company’s current electricity use is lower than our estimates, which project future use. Equinix says it had 79 data centers either built or under construction at the end of 2025. Business Insider identified permits for 56 Equinix data centers.

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  </h4><strong>Reporting: </strong>Hannah Beckler, Dakin Campbell, Jack Newsham

Editing: Jennifer Maloney

Design, development, and graphics: Randy Yeip, Monsicha Srisuantang