A new AIxEnergy dataset tracks 234 policy actions across 230 geographies, revealing how local governments, states and power systems are turning access to land and electricity into a negotiated form of permission.
Brandon Owens
The International Energy Agency’s July 2026 Electricity Mid-Year Update identifies expanding data-center capacity as one of the structural forces accelerating global power demand. The IEA expects worldwide electricity consumption to grow 3.6 percent in 2026 and 3.8 percent in 2027, reaching approximately 30,700 terawatt-hours. Its more focused April assessment of energy and artificial intelligence estimates that data-center electricity consumption increased 17 percent in 2025, while consumption
Brandon Owens