The rapid growth of AI is placing unprecedented demands on data centre infrastructure, with new Gartner forecasts predicting global data centre electricity consumption will increase by 26 percent in 2026, reaching 565 TWh. The research highlights how AI-optimised servers are becoming a major driver of power demand, accounting for an estimated 31 percent of data centre power consumption this year.
Gartner also forecasts worldwide data centre power demand to reach 132 GW in 2026, rising from 104 GW in 2025, with demand expected to continue growing through the end of the decade. As power availability becomes an increasingly important consideration for data centre expansion, operators are being encouraged to prioritise efficiency improvements, secure access to electricity supplies and invest in technologies that support scalable growth.
The report underscores the scale of growth underway in the data centre sector and the critical role reliable power infrastructure will play in supporting future AI workloads.
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