Impacts of data center expansion on global energy demand: Sustainability challenges in the age of artificial intelligence

Digital transformation and advances in artificial intelligence have driven the expansion of data centers and increased their share of global electricity demand. This article analyzes the impacts of this growth on power systems and discusses the main challenges to the sector's sustainability. The study adopts a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach and was conducted through a bibliographic and documentary review of 18 sources published between 2019 and 2025. Technical reports, standards, regulatory acts, institutional studies, and specialized publications concerning data center energy consumption, artificial intelligence, electricity infrastructure, and energy supply alternatives were examined. The results indicate that global electricity demand associated with data centers, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies may reach between 620 and 1,050 TWh in 2026, while data center electricity consumption in the United States may reach between 325 and 580 TWh in 2028. The comparative analysis shows that the impact does not result solely from the global volume of electricity consumed, but from the combination of rapid expansion, geographical concentration, continuous supply requirements, and the mismatch between the deployment timelines of digital and electricity infrastructure. It is concluded that the sector's sustainability will depend on anticipatory locational and energy planning, operational efficiency, data transparency, coordinated grid expansion, and diversification of low-carbon energy sources.