Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping America’s energy use faster than most people realize. AI already accounts for 4.4% of all U.S. electricity consumption, and by 2030, that share is expected to jump to somewhere between 12% and 20% of total demand.
That surge is putting utility companies at the center of AI’s buildout, turning what was once seen as a slow, defensive corner of the market into a key part of the digital economy’s plumbing. Virginia’s Data Center Valley is a clear example: Ashburn alone hosts 133 data centers, and the broader region packs more than 3,500 tech companies into 35 million square feet of facilities.
