Interactive IEA tracker shows where AI is guzzling the most energy

Observatory maps datacenter hubs and power demand worldwide

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has unveiled an online platform to closely monitor and analyze the impact of AI across the energy sector worldwide.

The Energy and AI Observatory sports interactive tools to explore datacenter electricity consumption and the scale of digital infrastructure by region, and provides case studies to illustrate how AI is being deployed across the energy sector itself, as well as its effects.

It follows the publication earlier this year of a report from the IEA estimating that energy consumed by bit barns worldwide is set to more than double by 2030, surpassing that currently used by all of Japan. AI is the driver of most of this; the energy required by "AI-optimized" datacenters is projected to outpace the rest and more than quadruple by the end of the decade.

However, the same report also claimed that AI is already being deployed in the energy industry to optimize systems, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and cut costs.

Divided into two main sections, the Observatory features an interactive map showing the locations of datacenter hubs and their capacity – both operating and planned – alongside major telecoms and high voltage distribution cable networks.

It notes that gigawatt-scale clusters have emerged in specific regions of North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, thanks to large-scale investment in the infrastructure that is used used in the development and training of AI models.

IEA Observatory – click to enlarge

Other charts show the total global installed bit barn capacity, illustrating how it has accelerated in recent years (doubling since 2020), the installed capacity by region (spoiler: the US is by far the largest), and datacenter capacity as a share of regional energy demand.

Meanwhile, the "AI for energy" section details use cases such as energy price forecasting using AI tools; AI-driven models for electricity access forecasting; and building-level electricity planning using AI models.

According to the IEA, the Observatory was first announced by executive director Fatih Birol at the AI Action Summit held in Paris in February, and aims to inform national and international policy on energy and AI topics, including ongoing dialog between government and industry.

"The IEA is at the forefront of efforts to understand and manage the significant links between energy and artificial intelligence, which is quickly emerging as one of the most important technologies of our time," said Birol.

He added that the Observatory would support decision-makers around the world in planning for the future, stressing the importance of reliable data and analysis in such a fast-moving sector.

An earlier IEA report also warned that the world is going to need a lot more electricity generation capacity within the next three years to keep up with an unprecedented spike in demand, though it isn't just AI and datacenters to blame. Increasing use of air conditioning, heat pumps, the electrification of industrial processes and electric vehicles are all taking their toll as well. ®