The global datacentre capacity has reached 67.7GW, with the US alone accounting for 43% of that total, according to the International Datacentre Authority’s (IDCA) Datacentre report 2026.
The study utilized data from various organizations such as the International Energy Agency, World Bank, United Nations, and International Telecommunications Union, as well as input from governments, datacentre developers, and operators.
It was discovered that when datacentres consume 5% or more of electricity grid usage, public opposition tends to increase, and governments shift from incentives to regulation.
The report emphasized the importance of using resources wisely and acquiring tech sector skills among 2.5% of the workforce for optimal profit in the datacentre industry.
The top five countries in terms of datacentre capacity were the US, China, Germany, the UK, and Japan, collectively accounting for 69% of global datacentre capacity.
The report highlighted that the US had around 3GW of unused but live datacentre capacity, representing 13% of total consumption in the country.
China was identified as a “sleeping giant” due to utilizing less than 1% of electricity production for datacentres, despite generating almost double the electricity compared to the US.
The report also delved into various aspects related to datacentres, including energy consumption, water stress, servers per head differentials, IT job deficits, and indices like Gamma, Sigma, and Goldilocks.
Overall, the IDCA report provided valuable insights into the global datacentre landscape and the factors influencing its growth and sustainability.
