Data centers consume substantial amounts of electricity for servers, cooling and related equipment, even though efficiency improvements can limit how quickly that use grows.
False
Data centers do not consume energy.
How much energy do data centers really use? | Aspen Global Change Institute
Source: agci.org
At a glance
Verified September 4, 2026Key Evidence
The Aspen Global Change Institute estimated global data-center electricity use at about 205 terawatt-hours in 2018, or approximately 1% of global electricity consumption.
Pew Research Center identifies servers as the main users of electricity in data centers and cooling systems as another major source of consumption.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported in June 2026 on strategies for managing data-center energy use, including shifting consumption away from expensive peak periods. This confirms that data centers have substantial, measurable electricity demand.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Data centers unquestionably consume energy. The Aspen Global Change Institute reported that data centers used about 205 terawatt-hours of electricity globally in 2018, equivalent to roughly 1% of worldwide electricity consumption. That direct measurement contradicts the claim that data centers consume no energy.agci.orgagci.orgHow much energy do data centers really use?
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