A new report from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health warns that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence could dramatically increase global demand for electricity, water, land, and other resources over the next decade.
According to the study, data centers consumed 448 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, a figure comparable to the annual energy use of some nations.
Researchers project that consumption could more than double to 945 terawatt-hours by 2030, accounting for nearly 3% of global electricity demand.
Data centres are expected to consume twice as much power and water by 2030 as they expand to meet the surge in demand from artificial intelligence, U.N. researchers said on Wednesday. https://t.co/YdGqaT3hgi https://t.co/YdGqaT3hgi
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) June 3, 2026
The report said operational AI requests are responsible for roughly 90% of data center power usage.
The environmental impact extends beyond electricity. AI infrastructure reportedly consumed 9.3 trillion liters of water in 2025 and could require more than 14,000 square kilometers of land by 2030. Annual electronic waste from the sector could also reach 2.5 million tonnes.
Lead investigator Kaveh Madani said the findings likely represent only a portion of AI’s environmental footprint. Researchers emphasized that the report is not intended to oppose AI development but to encourage transparency, monitoring, and sustainable management of the technology’s growing resource demands.
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TIPP Staff
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TIPP Staff
