World May 13, 2026 · 1 min read

Datacentres using 6% of electricity supply in UK and US, research says

Industry body says energy consumption driven by AI up 15% globally in two years as it warns of societal backlashDatacentres are consuming 6% of electricity in the UK and US, with the growing strain of AI on energy supplies prompting community resistance, according to research.The proportion of elect...

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The Guardian
by Robert Booth UK technology editor
Datacentres using 6% of electricity supply in UK and US, research says

Industry body says energy consumption driven by AI up 15% globally in two years as it warns of societal backlash

Datacentres are consuming 6% of electricity in the UK and US, with the growing strain of AI on energy supplies prompting community resistance, according to research.

The proportion of electricity used by vast warehouses stacked with microchips to power AI and the internet has risen 15% worldwide in the past two years as annual global investment in datacentres approaches $1tn (£740bn) – nearly 1% of the global economy, according to the International Data Center Association (IDCA).

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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Robert Booth UK technology editor.

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