Overview
- Early November 2026 analyses led by the Sierra Club warn that U.S. data centers planned for 2025–2030 powered by gas could add roughly 618 million tonnes of CO2, a rise large enough to offset years of power‑sector decarbonization.
- German studies and industry surveys show record investment in 2026 (€23.5 billion) and rising electricity use now estimated at about 23 billion kWh in 2026 with projections of 35–38 billion kWh by 2030 and 56–70 billion kWh by 2035.
- Operators and researchers identify limited grid connection capacity and slow permitting as the dominant bottlenecks to new builds, with around 80 percent of experts citing network constraints as the main hurdle.
- Local opposition and formal limits are delaying projects: state actions such as New York’s one‑year construction ban, tribal moratoria including the Cherokee decision, and dozens of community protests have paused or blocked many proposals.
- Technology and policy can blunt but not erase demand growth because server efficiency and lower PUE values reduce intensity even as absolute power needs rise, so outcomes will depend on faster grid upgrades, pricing reforms, mandatory transparency, and stronger local planning.