Global electricity demand to rise 4% annually due to AI, other uses

• And it's already underway, with a 4.3% jump last year.

Stunning stat: Over the next three years, it sees consumption rising an "unprecedented" 3,500 terawatt-hours.

• "This corresponds to adding more than the equivalent of a Japan to the world's electricity consumption each year," the report finds.

The intrigue: It's also the latest example of analysts acknowledging the difficulty of predicting future data center thirst.

• It notes that data centers' share of China's electricity demand could double from 2025-2027, reaching 6%.

What's next: While we write a lot about rising U.S. power needs, IEA notes that 85% of the additional global demand growth through 2027 will come from emerging and developing nations.

• China alone accounted for over half of last year's increase and is projected to have 6% annual growth the next few years.
• But use is also growing in many developed economies after a stretch of relative stagnation, IEA said.

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