Global Data Center Power Demand to Hit 161GW in 2026, AI Servers Drive a Third of It

A new AI Server industry study from TrendForce shows cloud service providers are speeding up infrastructure deployment. Global data center power demand is expected to reach 161GW in 2026, up about 31% year over year, with AI servers making up 33.4% of that total.

Global data center power demand already hit 122.9GW in 2025. As CSPs keep raising capital spending, demand is expected to grow more than 30% in 2027.

The firm notes that before 2025, grid deliverability could still meet data center demand, but supply and demand start to diverge in 2026 and the gap widens clearly after 2028. By 2030, global data center power demand is projected to reach 490.7GW, while grid capacity available to data centers is 222.6GW, leaving a gap of 268GW.

The gap has two layers: on-site power generation by vendors can fill some demand but is not counted in grid capacity, making the shortfall look larger than it is; delays in grid connection and transmission projects, however, can cause real power shortages.