en.Wedoany.com Reported - A new report from BloombergNEF shows that by 2035, electricity consumption by US data centers is expected to quadruple from current levels, accounting for one-fifth of the nation's total power generation.

The report indicates that surging demand for AI computing power will drive the scale of data centers to expand to nearly 200 gigawatts over the next decade, with nearly half of that capacity dedicated to model training and inference, most of which will remain concentrated in the US. By 2033, based on power consumption demand, 64% of the world's AI chips will be deployed in the US.

Given the trend of institutions continuously revising their forecasts upward, these figures may still underestimate actual demand.

Most new data centers are expected to connect to an already strained power grid. The PJM Interconnection, covering states from Virginia to Illinois, may need to supply 34% of its electricity to data centers in the future, while the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, covering most of Texas, will have to allocate 22% of its generation capacity to meet data center demand.

PJM hosts a large number of US data centers but has long been unable to process interconnection requests for large power generation projects and facilities in a timely manner. The grid once suspended accepting new generation project interconnection applications for four years, but continued growth in electricity demand has led to severe supply risks for the grid.

In April this year, PJM reopened the queue for new generation project interconnections, but the situation continues to deteriorate, even forcing US power companies to threaten to exit the PJM Interconnection. The inability of power supply to keep pace with demand growth has already driven local electricity prices up by 76% over the past year.

Despite severe grid congestion, data centers are still rushing to connect to PJM. In the costs generated by PJM's most recent capacity auction, data centers accounted for 38%.

The US will continue to hold most of the world's AI computing power, while data centers in other countries and regions will also expand rapidly. If AI adoption maintains a high pace, by 2033, global data centers will generate 1,935 terawatt-hours of new electricity demand, nearly equivalent to India's total annual electricity consumption.