Data Center Power Demand to Reach 161 GW in 2026
TrendForce forecasts global data center power demand will reach 161 GW in 2026, up 31% from the 122.9 GW expected in 2025. The data center power demand forecast rises to 211 GW in 2027 and 490.7 GW by 2030, driven mainly by artificial intelligence infrastructure and rising cloud service provider capital expenditure.
AI servers are expected to account for 33.4% of total data center power demand in 2026, compared with about 25% in 2025. Their share could exceed 40% in 2027, while cloud providers are expected to maintain annual capital-spending growth above 30% through 2027.
TrendForce estimates that grid capacity available to data centers will reach only 222.6 GW by 2030, creating a potential shortfall of about 268 GW against projected demand. The United States could face a deficit of more than 170 GW, particularly across the PJM, ERCOT and MISO grid regions.
The power shortage may constrain data center expansion and increase wholesale electricity prices for data centers, industrial users and households. TrendForce identifies high-voltage direct current transmission as one possible solution because it can move electricity over long distances with lower losses. For traders, the forecast highlights potential long-term opportunities in power generation, grid infrastructure, transmission equipment and data-center energy suppliers, while also signalling risks from permitting delays, electricity-price inflation and slower AI infrastructure deployment.
Neutral
The news is neutral for the cryptocurrency market because it does not directly mention Bitcoin, Ethereum or any blockchain project. Its main impact is through the wider AI and data-center infrastructure trade.
In the short term, rising power demand could support companies involved in electricity generation, transmission, cooling and data-center construction. Traders may also price in higher wholesale electricity costs and tighter grid capacity, which could pressure energy-intensive technology operations. However, the report does not provide a direct catalyst for crypto prices, trading volumes or network activity.
Over the long term, stronger AI infrastructure investment could indirectly benefit crypto-related sectors that provide data-center hosting, cloud computing or high-performance computing services. At the same time, electricity shortages, permitting delays and higher operating costs could reduce the profitability of mining operations and other power-intensive digital-asset businesses. Similar infrastructure-driven market reactions have historically favoured power and semiconductor themes before spreading to higher-risk technology assets, but the effect on crypto has generally been indirect and dependent on broader liquidity and risk sentiment. Therefore, traders should monitor electricity prices, grid investment, AI capital expenditure and crypto market momentum rather than treat this forecast as a standalone bullish or bearish signal.