TOPIC ENERGY
Energy explainers
THE SHORT ANSWER
The physical limits behind the digital world: how much electricity AI and data centres use, where the water goes, and why the estimates differ. Figures come from named measurements, with ranges and dates, not from round numbers repeated until they feel true.
Guides
ENERGY / EXPLAINER
Data Centres: Where the Power and Water Go
What US data centres use in electricity and water, why the flat years ended, how cooling trades one for the other and what the data cannot show.
ENERGY / EXPLAINERHow Much Electricity Does AI Really Use?
Data centres used about 485 TWh in 2025, slightly over 1.5% of global demand. AI is the fast-growing part, and local grids are the bottleneck.