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arXiv · 2604.06198

Concentrated siting of AI data centers drives regional power-system stress under rising global compute demand

Danbo Chen·Zijun Zhou·Yongyang Cai·Jiahong Qin·Ani Katchova·Lei Chen
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Abstract

The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is driving unprecedented growth in global computational demand, placing increasing pressure on electricity systems. This study introduces an AI-energy coupling framework that combines large language models (LLMs)-based analysis of corporate, policy, and media data with quantitative energy-system modeling to forecast the electricity footprint of AI-driven data centers from 2025 to 2030. Results show that the new AI infrastructure is highly concentrated in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia-Pacific, which together account for more than 90% of projected compute capacity. Aggregate electricity consumption by the six leading firms is projected to increase from roughly 118 TWh in 2024 to between 239 TWh and 295 TWh by 2030, equivalent to about 1% of global power demand. Regions such as Oregon, Virginia, and Ireland may experience high Power Stress Index (PSI) values exceeding 0.25, indicating local grid vulnerability, whereas diversified systems such as those in Texas and Japan can absorb new loads more effectively. These findings demonstrate that AI infrastructure is evolving from a marginal digital service into a structural component of power-system dynamics, underscoring the need for anticipatory planning that aligns computational growth with renewable expansion and grid resilience.

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Danbo Chen, Zijun Zhou, Yongyang Cai, Jiahong Qin, Ani Katchova, Lei Chen. 2026-03-13. Concentrated siting of AI data centers drives regional power-system stress under rising global compute demand. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06198

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