New Report Predicts Explosive Load Growth by 2030
Imagine the impact of data centers popping up across the United States — including almost three dozen in Oklahoma — each one pulling enormous amounts of electricity. A new report released Tuesday by Grid Strategies warns that utilities nationwide will see unprecedented increases in power demand in the next five years, driven primarily by the rapid expansion of data center development.
Canary Media, which reviewed the report, noted that Grid Strategies projects new electricity demand equivalent to 15 times the power required to meet New York City’s peak load. The scale of that comparison underscores how dramatically the industry’s energy needs are changing.
Peak Grid Demand Expected to Reach 166 Gigawatts
Sixfold Increase From Forecasts Three Years Ago
Grid Strategies’ analysis of utility load forecasts suggests peak grid demand will reach 166 gigawatts by 2030. This represents a sixfold increase from what utilities were predicting three years ago, marking one of the most rapid upward revisions in modern utility planning history.
“These are just phenomenal numbers for an industry that was built over the past couple of decades to handle much lower load growth,” said John Wilson, Grid Strategies’ vice president and the report’s lead author.
His statement emphasizes the strain utilities face as they attempt to prepare for demand growth unlike anything in the last generation of grid planning.
Data Centers Identified as Primary Driver
Much of the projected growth stems from data centers, which require massive, continuous electricity loads to support artificial intelligence training, cloud computing, storage, and advanced digital applications. Grid Strategies reported that utilities across multiple regions — including the Midwest, South, and Plains states — are revising 10-year load forecasts upward as developers announce new hyperscale facilities.
Not the First Warning About Demand Spike
This week’s report is not the first time Grid Strategies has raised concerns. Two years ago, the consultancy issued an early warning about the spike in electricity use tied to data center growth. At that time, the organization highlighted that utilities were underestimating the scale and speed of demand increases.
The new report indicates those early warnings were accurate — and may still underestimate how quickly data center-driven load growth accelerates as AI adoption expands further.
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