Business Insider Maps 1,400+ US Data Centers Built or Approved by 2025

The rapid expansion of data center infrastructure directly impacts the streaming industry's backend, influencing content delivery, processing, and cloud services. Understanding the geographical distribution and power demands of these facilities is crucial for optimizing network architecture and anticipating operational costs. As data center growth continues, particularly in new regions, businesses should monitor localized energy and regulatory landscapes to ensure reliable and efficient streaming operations. The increasing power demands of AI — projected by the IEA (May 2026) to double data center electricity consumption globally by 2030 — will further stress existing grids and necessitate strategic planning for future infrastructure.

The expansion of AI-driven data centers presents significant challenges for energy grids, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) projecting global data center electricity consumption to double to 945 TWh by 2030, representing almost 3% of total global electricity use. This growth is particularly concentrated in the US, where data centers could account for nearly 5% of the nation's electricity consumption in 2025, and potentially as much as 12% by 2028 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, per Consumer Reports, January 2026). While individual AI queries consume minimal energy, the collective demand from AI models and services is creating unprecedented pressure on power systems (Hannah Ritchie, Substack, May 2026). This surge in demand has contributed to rising electricity bills for consumers in areas with high data center concentrations, such as Virginia, where data centers accounted for almost 40% of the state's total electricity consumption in 2024 (Bloomberg News, per Consumer Reports, January 2026). Beyond power, these facilities also place immense strain on water systems; mid-sized data centers can use up to 300,000 gallons daily, while larger ones can consume up to 5 million gallons, comparable to a small town (WRI). The World Resources Institute (WRI) noted that two-thirds of data centers built or in development since 2022 are in water-stressed areas, intensifying local resource conflicts. This rapid development has led to increased public concern and some project delays or cancellations due to organized opposition (Consumer Reports, January 2026). Tech companies like Microsoft and Anthropic have responded with pledges to cover their own electricity costs and reduce water usage, though the effectiveness of such voluntary measures remains a subject of debate among experts (Consumer Reports, January 2026).