This analysis helps contextualize AI data center power demand for the general public by comparing it with household consumption.
AI data centers are being proposed across the Midwest, including here in Wisconsin. While many developers have not disclosed the power demands of these projects, some have. These disclosures reveal the power needs of AI data centers will be substantial.
Publicly-available information suggests that phase one of the Microsoft data center in Mt. Pleasant and full development of the Vantage data center Port Washington will require approximately 3.9 gigawatts (GW) of power to operate.
Power is a measure of the rate at which electricity is being consumed. Household energy consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Energy is the total amount of electricity used over time (i.e., multiplying power by time).
To facilitate this analysis and directly compare power vs. energy numbers, we had to make a few assumptions. First, we assumed a 100% load factor at the data centers. That is, the data centers are operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with a constant power demand (3.9 GW). Actual utilization may be lower than this. Second, we applied average monthly household electricity consumption in Wisconsin across all 12 months, assuming a continuous power draw.
