U.S. data center electricity use is projected to more than double from about 176 TWh in 2023 to between 325 and 580 TWh by 2028, according to a December 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report.
Data centers consumed roughly 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and could reach 6.7% to 12% by 2028, per the same Berkeley Lab study.
PJM Interconnection's 2025/2026 capacity auction cleared at a record $269.92 per megawatt-day, up from $28.92 the prior year, driving double-digit bill hikes across the mid-Atlantic.
Virginia's Loudoun County hosts the world's largest concentration of data centers, with facilities drawing more than 4,500 megawatts — more than the peak demand of many U.S. states.
Democrats flipped governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey in November 2025, with exit polling showing electricity costs ranked among voters' top economic concerns.