The Outlook for Data Center Power Demand as AI Token Use Grows

Global data center power demand could rise 170% by 2030 from 2025 levels according to Goldman Sachs Research’s Brian Singer and Carly Davenport. They joined hosts Allison Nathan and George Lee on the Goldman Sachs Exchanges podcast to  discuss how data centers will source that power, the key bottlenecks, and the impact of growing pushback from some local communities.  Key takeaways:  The rise in power demand from AI more broadly is forecast to be the equivalent of adding another Japan to the world’s power consumption by 2030 compared to the start of 2024.  Goldman Sachs Research sees seven key binding constraints for data center power today including price, policy, and people. Delays for connecting data centers to regional US power grids are as long as seven years.  The Mid-Atlantic region should remain the largest US data center power market until at least 2030, but the Midwest is set to overtake Texas for second place.   The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action or be used as a basis for any other investment decision, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. Any forward-looking statements, case studies, computations or examples set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any sponsorship, affiliation, endorsement, ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs.  Disclosures applicable to research with respect to issuers, if any, mentioned herein are available through your Goldman Sachs representative or at http://www.gs.com/research/hedge.html.  A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript.  Date of Recording August 12, 2026.  © 2026 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices