IDCA datacentres report: Global concentration and the Goldilocks zone | Computer Weekly

"Datacentre capacity has reached 67.7GW globally, with five countries accounting for 69% of that total, and the US alone accounting for 43%, according to the International Datacentre Authority's (IDCA) Datacentre report 2026."

"It discovered that where datacentres account for 5% or more of electricity grid usage, there seemed to be a threshold at which public opposition rises significantly and governments move from incentives to regulation."

"The US was the site for the most datacentre capacity, with 29.2GW of a global total 67.7GW. US datacentres accounted for 6% of the country's electricity supply. Behind the US are: China, 8.5GW and 0.8% of electricity use; Germany, 5.5GW (9.5%), UK, 2GW (5.8%), and Japan, 1.7GW (1.5%). Those five states accounted for 69% of global datacentre capacity."

"In the US, however, the IDCA research estimated that 13% of datacentre consumption - around 3GW - was unused but still live capacity. China emerged as the “sleeping giant”, according to the report, because less than 1% of electricity production was devoted to datacentres, despite producing almost twice the amount of electricity as the US."

Global datacentre capacity reached 67.7GW, with five countries holding 69% of total capacity. The US accounted for 43% of global capacity and 6% of its electricity supply, with 29.2GW installed. China followed with 8.5GW and 0.8% electricity use, while Germany, the UK, and Japan contributed 5.5GW (9.5%), 2GW (5.8%), and 1.7GW (1.5%). The report found that when datacentres use 5% or more of grid electricity, public opposition increases and governments shift from incentives to regulation. It also estimated that in the US about 13% of datacentre consumption, around 3GW, was unused but still live capacity. It described China as a “sleeping giant” due to under 1% of electricity production going to datacentres despite high overall electricity generation.

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