# Data Centers (DD-029)

> Data centers are the buildings where the internet physically lives: racks of servers, storage and network gear, plus the power and cooling plant that keeps them running around the clock. In 2024 they used about 415 TWh of electricity, roughly 1.5% of the world's total, according to the IEA. In the U.S. they used 4.4% in 2023, and that share could reach 6.7–12% by 2028, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. AI is the main driver of the growth, and the hottest AI chips now draw more than 1,000 W each, which is pushing operators toward liquid cooling.

- Department: Tech
- First published: 2026-05-16
- Last updated: 2026-05-16
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/data-centers/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **2014**: U.S. data centers use 58 TWh of electricity
- **2023**: U.S. data centers use 176 TWh, 4.4% of the nation's electricity
- **2024**: Data centers worldwide use about 415 TWh, around 1.5% of global electricity
- **2028**: Berkeley Lab projects U.S. data centers at 325–580 TWh (6.7–12%) (forecast)
- **2030**: The IEA expects global data-center demand of about 945 TWh (forecast)

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=data-centers

## Quick facts

- **DD-029-F01**: Data centers used about 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, roughly 1.5% of the world's total, and the IEA expects that to more than double by 2030. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (1.5% of the world's electricity))_
- **DD-029-F02**: Top AI chips now draw more than 1,000 watts each, which is why new data centers are switching to liquid cooling. _(Write-up · Exhibit F (Why liquid cooling))_

## Write-up

The internet lives in warehouses full of humming servers. Data centers used about 1.5% of the world's electricity in 2024.

1. **What's inside**: A data center houses three kinds of IT equipment: servers, storage and networking gear. It also has the cooling and electrical infrastructure that keeps them running. Berkeley Lab's national estimate models all of these together.
2. **1.5% of the world's electricity**: The IEA estimates data centers used about 415 TWh in 2024, around 1.5% of global electricity. The U.S. accounted for 45% of that, China 25% and Europe 15%.
3. **The U.S. picture**: U.S. data centers used 58 TWh in 2014 and 176 TWh in 2023, which is 4.4% of national electricity. Berkeley Lab projects 325–580 TWh by 2028, or 6.7–12% of U.S. electricity.
4. **AI is the accelerator**: The IEA expects global data-center demand to more than double to about 945 TWh by 2030, slightly more than Japan uses today, with AI as the biggest driver.
5. **Built never to go dark**: The Uptime Institute rates facilities in four tiers. Tier II adds redundant (N+1) generators, UPS batteries and cooling. Tier III can be maintained without shutting down. Tier IV keeps two fully independent systems so that any single failure is tolerated.
6. **Why liquid cooling**: Leading AI chips now draw more than 1,000 W each, too much for air alone. The IEA's efficiency program says liquid cooling is a prerequisite for high-density AI racks and can cut cooling energy by roughly 30–40%.
7. **Power and water trade-offs**: Renewables and natural gas are both growing to meet data-center demand. Cooling also involves trade-offs: evaporative towers use less electricity but consume water, while dry coolers save water but use more power.

## Related case files

- [Ocean-3 (DD-022)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ocean-3/): A wave-powered floating AI data center.
- [TeraFab (DD-016)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/terafab/): Making the chips that fill AI data centers.
- [Quantum Infrastructure (DD-012)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/quantum-cryogenics/): Another extreme cooling problem in computing.
- [Shrinking Circuits (DD-018)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/shrinking-circuits/): Chip efficiency gains behind 'high-efficiency chip design'.
- [The Flock (DD-030)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-flock/): The cloud databases that store and search billions of plate reads.
- [Offshore Oil (DD-033)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/offshore-oil/): Energy demand that oil, gas and renewables are racing to meet.
- [Orwellian (DD-045)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/orwellian/): Where today's data about people is stored.
- [Digital ID (DD-667)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/digital-id/): Where digital services run

## Reel vs. record

- **Confirmed from the frames**: this is a general explainer about data centers, not a profile of one facility. Its footage is stitched from three accounts (ikassem85, i.linkstop and ccna_200_301). [frames]
- **Imprecise**: 'house thousands of servers'. Facilities range from small server rooms to hyperscale campuses, so 'thousands' undersells the largest and oversells the smallest. [LBNL 2024]
- **Nuance**: 'redundant power supplies, backup generators, battery systems … so services remain online'. The level of redundancy varies by design tier. Tier I sites have no redundant capacity and must shut down for maintenance. [Uptime Institute; Uptime tier paper]
- **Incomplete**: 'renewable power integration'. The IEA says renewables and natural gas are both major sources for the new demand, so it isn't a renewables-only story. [IEA Energy and AI]
- **Confirmed and quantified**: AI is driving growth. Global data-center electricity is projected to rise from ~415 TWh (2024) to ~945 TWh (2030). [IEA Energy and AI; IEA executive summary]

## Video: Data Centers: The Internet Lives in Warehouses Full of Humming Servers

- Duration: 42.6 s · Published: 2026-05-16
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DYaweQsRCDU.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Modern data centers are large facilities that house thousands of servers, responsible for storing, processing, and transmitting the digital information that powers cloud computing, streaming, artificial intelligence, banking, and much of the internet. Inside, rows of server stacks operate continuously, connected by high-speed networking equipment and supported by extensive cooling and power infrastructure, to prevent overheating and downtime. Data centers often include redundant power supplies, backup generators, battery systems, and multiple internet connections so services remain online even during failures or disasters. As computing demand grows, especially from AI, newer data centers are becoming larger and more energy intensive, driving innovations in liquid cooling, renewable power integration, and high-efficiency chip design. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Roughly what share of the world's electricity did data centers use in 2024?**  
A: The IEA estimates about 415 TWh, roughly 1.5% of global electricity. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (1.5% of the world's electricity) · Energy and AI (IEA, 2025, full report PDF); Energy and AI: Executive summary (IEA))_

**Q: Which country used the most data-center electricity in 2024?**  
A: The U.S. accounted for about 45%, ahead of China (25%) and Europe (15%). _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (1.5% of the world's electricity) · Energy and AI (IEA, 2025, full report PDF); Energy and AI: Executive summary (IEA))_

**Q: What share of U.S. electricity did data centers use in 2023?**  
A: Berkeley Lab puts it at 176 TWh, or 4.4% of U.S. electricity. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The U.S. picture) · 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory); DOE Releases New Report Evaluating Increase in Electricity Demand from Data Centers (U.S. DOE))_

**Q: What does an Uptime Institute Tier IV rating mean?**  
A: Tier IV is fault-tolerant, with two simultaneously active, physically isolated systems. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Built never to go dark) · Tier Classification System (Uptime Institute); Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance (Uptime Institute white paper))_

**Q: Why are AI data centers turning to liquid cooling?**  
A: Heat densities from 1,000-W-plus GPUs exceed what air cooling can handle efficiently. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit F (Why liquid cooling) · Liquid Cooling in Data Centres, final report (IEA 4E EDNA, 2026))_

## Sources

- [Energy and AI (IEA, 2025, full report PDF)](https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/b3a8b37f-32d1-4873-9eca-31cec5895264/EnergyandAI.pdf)
- [Energy and AI: Executive summary (IEA)](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/executive-summary)
- [2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)](https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/lbnl-2024-united-states-data-center-energy-usage-report_1.pdf)
- [DOE Releases New Report Evaluating Increase in Electricity Demand from Data Centers (U.S. DOE)](https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-report-evaluating-increase-electricity-demand-data-centers)
- [Tier Classification System (Uptime Institute)](https://uptimeinstitute.com/tiers/)
- [Tier Classifications Define Site Infrastructure Performance (Uptime Institute white paper)](https://fsta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Tier-Classifications-Define-Site-Infrastructure-Performance.pdf)
- [Liquid Cooling in Data Centres, final report (IEA 4E EDNA, 2026)](https://www.iea-4e.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EDNA-2026-LIQUID-COOLING-IN-DATA-CENTRES3.pdf)
- [Powering Artificial Intelligence (IEA)](https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/cd360a30-aaef-43cd-84e6-a125c3a0bc67/PoweringArtificialIntelligence.pdf)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Data Centers." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-029, last updated May 16, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/data-centers/