Data centers use just 0.85% of global primary energy, by the numbers

DarinFeinstein · x · 2026-10-19

The author pushes back on energy-doom narratives with math: the world generates 167,000 TWh of primary energy annually, while data centers consume 560 TWh of electricity — about 1,400 TWh of primary energy after conversion losses in coal, gas and nuclear plants. That's only 0.85% of the global total, illustrated with a donut chart.

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