Mapped: Data Center Electricity Consumption By State

Mapped: Data Center Electricity Consumption By State

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Data centers have become major electricity consumers in the U.S., driven by continuously rising internet usage along with cloud computing and AI systems that require substantial computational resources and cooling infrastructure.

In 2023, data centers were estimated to consume around 4% of the U.S.’ total electricity, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), with their consumption is projected to reach between 4.6% and 9.1% by 2030 depending on growth scenarios.

This map visualizes the percentage of U.S. states’ electricity consumption that data centers consumed in 2023 using data from EPRI. Only 44 states that had significant data center loads were included.

Virginia’s Data Centers Drive Power Surge

Below, we show the percentage of each state’s total electricity consumption that data centers consumed in 2023.

According to the EPRI, 15 states account for 80% of the national data center load: Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Oregon, Arizona, Iowa, Georgia, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Nevada.

Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia, has emerged as the global epicenter for data centers, with nearly 300 facilities concentrated in Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William counties.

According to Amazon, around 70% of global internet traffic is estimated to pass through this region, often referred to as “Data Center Alley.”

Northern Virginia’s proximity to Washington D.C. makes it a strategic choice for data centers due to its access to robust infrastructure, secure government facilities, and a high-density fiber network.

The massive concentration of data centers in Virginia has led to a significant increase in electricity consumption, with Dominion Energy reporting that 24% of its electricity sales in 2023 were to data centers.

The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative expects to increase its peak electric load by more than 12% per year over the next 15 years, “driven almost exclusively by data center demand.”

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about Big Tech’s electricity use, check out this graphic that visualizes companies’ 2023 electricity use against that of select reference countries.