AI's energy demands are rising sharply, with data centers consuming as much electricity as entire countries. The push for clean energy, including small modular reactors, may help reduce emissions.
AI energy use rising rapidly
Artificial intelligence is advancing quickly and changing many uses, but this progress has consequences, especially in the energy sector. An AI query uses more resources than a traditional search engine query, leading to higher energy consumption.Data center energy demand growing
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that electricity needed for data centers worldwide could rise from 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 to over 1,000 TWh by 2030 and 1,300 TWh by 2035. For comparison, France consumed 451 TWh of electricity in 2025, meaning data centers already use as much as the entire country by that year.Energy sources for data centers
According to the IEA, data centers globally rely on a mix of energy sources: 30% coal, 27% renewable energy, 26% natural gas, and 15% nuclear. Renewables are growing the fastest, with an expected 22% annual increase between 2024 and 2030.Challenges in reducing carbon emissions
Despite the growth of renewables, coal and natural gas are expected to cover more than 40% of data centers' additional electricity needs by 2030. As a result, carbon dioxide emissions from data centers are likely to rise in the coming years.Small modular reactors as a potential solution
The IEA suggests that expanding renewables and using small modular reactors (SMR) could help reduce emissions. SMRs are smaller and designed for faster deployment compared to traditional reactors, which can take years to build.Global efforts in SMR development
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) lists 156 SMR and micro-reactor projects worldwide, with about ten in France. The United States leads in SMR development, and tech companies are major financial supporters of these projects.Future emissions outlook
If SMR and renewable energy projects proceed as planned, carbon dioxide emissions from data centers could peak at around 320 million tons in 2030 and then decrease slightly by 2035. However, these emissions would still be less than 1% of global CO2 emissions.Data center energy use in France
In France, data centers directly connected to the transmission network consumed nearly 1 TWh in 2025, compared to 0.8 TWh in 2024. Additional consumption on Enedis’s distribution network brings the total to about 3 TWh. This is small relative to France’s overall electricity use, which is more than 95% low-carbon.
