Published: 15:32, September 8, 2026
Report: AI boom drives power demand as Asia-Pacific data center capacity to double
By Xinhua
This photo shows the NEXTDC data center in the northern Canberra suburb of Bruce, Australia, on Aug 26, 2026. Electricity demand to power data centers in Australia is forecast to increase by almost sevenfold over the next decade, according to the energy market operator. (PHOTO/XINHUA)

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom has created a "generational shift" in power demand as Asia-Pacific data center capacity is set to double by 2030, JLL said on Tuesday.

The property management firm said in a statement that Asia-Pacific data center capacity is projected to nearly double to 57 GW by 2030 from 32 GW currently, as hyperscale cloud expansion and surging AI demand drive a global build-out.

As a result, securing reliable power infrastructure has emerged as the critical bottleneck in the AI economy, it said.

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According to JLL, the growth of AI and data centers has triggered a "generational shift" in power demand, with utilities now forecasting electricity needs that are nearly double their previous estimates, while grid interconnection queues in some regions have stretched to four years or more.

In Asia-Pacific, data center build-out is outpacing grid planning by a significant margin in several markets, it added.