For comparison: The electricity consumption of classic servers – before 2024, according to Wang, this was the majority of servers – is expected to increase only moderately from 193 TWh (2025) to 200 TWh (2027) over the same period.
In addition to the servers themselves, the energy requirements for cooling and infrastructure are also skyrocketing. Gartner predicts an increase from 159 TWh in 2025 to 243 TWh by 2027.
The fatal thing about the development, according to the Gartner analyst: Although the power consumption of the hardware falls by around a third every year, the improved energy efficiency of the data center components cannot stop the increase, but can at best reduce it.
Electricity consumption by segment (in TWh)
| Segment | 2025 | Growth 2025 (in percent) | 2026 | Growth 2026 (in percent) | 2027 | Growth 2027 (in percent) |
| Conventional Server | 193 | 0,9 | 195 | 1,2 | 200 | 2,4 |
| AI optimized servers | 95 | 83,6 | 175 | 84,2 | 258 | 47,8 |
| Cooling and other infrastructure | 159 | 10,5 | 195 | 22,6 | 243 | 24,6 |
| Total power consumption of data centers | 447 | 15,5 | 565 | 26,4 | 702 | 24,1 |
What: Gartner May 2026
Energy becomes a limiting factor – that helps
In the long term, Gartner sees significant challenges in power supply. By 2030, data center electricity consumption worldwide could rise to more than 1,200 TWh. This threatens to reach the limits of power grids in many regions, warns Wang: “Power supply is one of the critical factors alongside AI chips and specialists.”
