TrendForce forecasts global data center power demand to hit 161 GW in 2026

The global appetite for data center power is about to get a lot harder to satisfy. TrendForce projects that worldwide data center power demand will climb to 161 GW in 2026, a 31% jump from the 122.9 GW expected in 2025, driven largely by an AI buildout that shows zero signs of slowing down. By 2027, that figure is forecast to reach 211 GW. And that’s just the appetizer before the main course: a projected 490.7 GW by 2030. AI’s growing share of the power bill The single biggest variable pushing these numbers skyward is artificial intelligence. AI servers are expected to account for roughly 33.4% of total data center power demand in 2026, up from about 25% in 2025. By 2027, TrendForce expects that share to cross 40%. Cloud service providers, the companies actually buying and racking this equipment, are not pulling back. Capital expenditure from major CSPs continues to escalate, with TrendForce projecting annual growth rates above 30% into 2027. The grid can’t keep up TrendForce’s analysis points to a widening gap between what data centers will demand and what electrical grids can actually deliver. The mismatch begins showing up in 2026 and worsens significantly after 2028. By 2030, t...