Data center electricity consumption surged from 4.4% of U.S. demand in 2023 to projected levels of 6.7% to 12% by 2028, driven by explosive AI and cloud infrastructure expansion. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates data centers could consume 9% of total U.S. electricity generation by 2030. Advanced AI servers require two to four times more power than conventional hardware, while massive data center campuses consume gigawatts equivalent to powering millions of homes. This unprecedented demand is forcing utilities to invest billions in grid upgrades and capacity expansion, creating a critical infrastructure bottleneck. The economic consequence is significant: rising electricity costs will be passed to consumers through higher utility bills, effectively creating a hidden tax subsidizing Big Tech's digital infrastructure.
