America Is Building Datacenters Faster Than the Grid Can Power Them
The Register, Tuesday, September 15th, 2026
Moody's puts US datacenter demand at 426 TWh by 2030, requiring about $110 billion in new generation capacity.
Moody's reports that power availability remains the major constraint on US datacenter growth, with construction outpacing the grid's ability to add capacity.
Citing IEA data, it estimates datacenter power demand will reach 426 terawatt-hours in 2030, almost double the 2025 figure, and calculates that building the additional generation will cost about $110 billion while adding $25 billion to $30 billion a year to electricity system costs.
Transmission is a parallel bottleneck, with $80 billion to $115 billion in grid investment through 2030 already approved or under construction and the potential to triple over the next decade.
Permitting processes and long lead times for key equipment have caused delays of up to seven years in some cases.