Reuters reported on Dec. 21 that, according to a study conducted by theU.S. Department of EnergySupported by the latest research, the U.S. Data Centerelectrical powerDemand is projected to nearly triple over the next three years and could account for 12% of the nation's electricity consumption, a phenomenon that's being fueled by the transition of industries to artificial intelligence.
The report was written by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. According to the projections, by 2028, the annual electricity consumption of data centers could reach 74 to 132 GWof total U.S. electricity consumption 6.7% to 12%.. The scope of this figure depends in part on the supply and demand for artificial intelligence chips (GPUs). Currently, data center power demandhas accounted for more than 4% of overall U.S. electricity demand..
Avi Shultz, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization, said the report highlights the fastest-growing area -- theAI data centers, and it is this emerging sector that is driving growth in U.S. electricity demand.
The report states that since 2017Widespread deployment of GPU-accelerated serversresulting in the industry's power use more than doubling in six years.AI Demand for more powerful chips and more efficient cooling systems are the main drivers of projected data center growth.
According to IT Home, while in 2016, AI servers accounted for the energy share in data centersOnly about 2%. The report also makes recommendations for further research and development of energy efficiency strategies to accommodate the skyrocketing growth of AI data centers in the United States. Currently, new AI data centers are being built at a rate of 1,000 units perUp to 1 GWconstruction of electric capacity, which is sufficient toElectricity for all homes in Philadelphia.