While it
is not possible to give an exact number for 2025, a survey found that by the
end of 2024, about 19% of data centers were implementing behind-the-meter
power, which includes on-site generation. This trend is expected to continue,
with 62% of data centers exploring on-site power generation for
efficiency and reliability.
Survey results: A 2025 report found that 19% of data centers had already implemented some form of behind-the-meter power by the end of 2024.
Driving factors: The primary motivations are to improve energy efficiency, increase resilience, and bypass grid congestion.
Future outlook: The trend of building on-site power generation is projected to increase significantly, as 62% of data centers are exploring this option.
Power sources: While interest in renewable energy is high, data centers are increasingly turning to natural gas for reliable, large-scale power, and exploring small modular reactors (SMRs) as a future solution.
It
is difficult to state the exact number of data centers that have (or will have)
their own power plants by the end of 2025, as this information is not tracked
in a centralized, publicly reported database. The trend toward on-site power
generation is rapidly increasing, with some reports providing general
statistics on the percentage of facilities exploring or using this approach,
rather than specific counts.
Key insights for 2025 include:
Growing Trend: The practice of data centers generating their own power (known as on-site or "behind-the-meter" power) is a rapidly accelerating trend driven by the immense power demands of AI and constraints on the traditional power grid.
Survey Data: A 2025 report from Bloom Energy indicated that approximately 19% of surveyed U.S. data centers were already implementing some form of behind-the-meter power by the end of 2024, and 62% were exploring on-site power generation.
Future Projections: The same report noted a significant shift in plans, with approximately 30% of all sites in the U.S. expected to use on-site power as a primary energy source by 2030, a more than double increase from projections just seven months earlier.
Notable Projects: Several major tech companies are developing or planning dedicated power sources.
OpenAI and Oracle have a project in West Texas, the "Stargate initiative," which is planned to include natural-gas-fired power generation, with potential for up to 10 data centers, each potentially needing 5 GW.
Elon Musk's xAI is using gas turbines at its Colossus data centers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Equinix is
utilizing fuel cells in more than a dozen of its data centers across the
U.S..
The specific number of data centers globally or nationally with dedicated power plants by the end of 2025 is not available in current public reports. The focus is on the significant increase in the percentage of operators adopting this strategy to address power availability and reliability challenges.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+data+centers+will+have+their+own+power+plants+2025
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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