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DOE Releases New Report Evaluating Increase in Electricity Demand from Data Centers |
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the publication of the 2024 Report on U.S. Data Center Energy Use produced by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which outlines the energy use of data centers from 2014 to 2028.
The report estimates that data center load growth has tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple by 2028. U.S. electricity demand is projected to account for data center expansion and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, domestic manufacturing growth, and electrification of different industries.
DOE has anticipated this growing demand trend—it reflects robust industrial investments in America and national leadership on technology innovation. The Department continues to develop advanced technologies and leverage its resources to meet rising electricity demand in the United States while maintaining a reliable, affordable, and secure national energy system.
The report finds that data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and are expected to consume approximately 6.7 to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.
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DOE’s key strategies for meeting data center energy demand include:
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Enabling data center flexibility through onsite power generation and storage solutions, including the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office’s Onsite Energy Program and new Industrial Energy Storage Systems Prize, so data centers can be a grid asset rather than a burden.
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Leveraging energy community opportunities to reuse infrastructure at retired coal facilities for data centers and associated power infrastructure.
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Engaging with stakeholders on innovative rate structures to support data center expansion while maintaining affordability.
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Commercializing key enabling technologies such as next-generation geothermal, advanced nuclear, long-duration storage, and efficient semiconductor technologies.
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