The artificial intelligence boom has taken over just about everything we real-life humans interact with on a daily basis. That said, the boom isn’t happening inside of chatbots, image generators, or whatever AI tool you’re being forced to use at work. It’s happening inside of data centers, the large buildings that are quickly taking over the United States’ power grid.
A map from late 2025, highlighted by Maps.com, shows the locations of the 4,000+ data centers currently spread out across the country. It also breaks down the energy and communications infrastructure needed to continue supporting them. It’s a lot to look at, to say the least.
The map, created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is jam-packed with data that really only means one thing: the U.S. is building a ton of data centers right now. It also confirms what we already know: the United States needs even more power to build more.
A New Map Shows Just How Much of America’s Power Grid Is Being Eaten by AI
Inside data centers are walls and walls of servers, storage devices, network equipment, cooling systems, and pretty much anything else needed to help you make those AI videos your grandparents keep getting tricked by on Facebook. It goes without saying, but it takes a lot of power to run all of those things—all while keeping the lights on for the real-life people living nearby, too.
Data centers have been around for decades, but demand for them has accelerated as companies continue to invest in both AI and cloud computing. Once you figure out what this map is saying—which isn’t easy because there is a lot going on—you quickly realize that the U.S. isn’t slowing down, either. They’re building a ton of data centers right now, especially in places like Virginia, California, and Texas.
It’s worth noting that data centers require land, cooling, fiber, electricity, and a grid capable of supporting the power demands needed to keep a building like that running 24/7. Maps.com points out that future growth will most likely require new energy generation and new ways to balance power supply with demand to keep expanding. What will that look like? Your guess is as good as ours.
More importantly, what does that look like for your power bill? Well, if recent history is anything to go by, it’s not going to be pretty for your wallet.
The post The AI Boom Is Taking Over the U.S. Power Grid, and This Map Shows Where It’s Happening appeared first on VICE.
