Data Center Energy Efficiency (Fact Sheet DOE/FEMP-0036, July 2025)

Overview

The sheet states that as of 2023 U.S. data centers consumed approximately 176 TWh, about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity use and more than double the approximately 70 TWh recorded in 2014. The figures rest on the 2024 LBNL United States Data Center Energy Usage Report. From 2023 through 2028 data center energy use is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 13% to 27%. That range is wide, and the document does not explain the reasons or scenarios, so the underlying LBNL report should be consulted for detail.

Energy efficiency requirements and strategies for federal data centers are set out in the OMB Data Center Optimization Initiative (OMB memorandum M-16-19), and FEMP helps federal agencies meet them. The sheet also stresses that small data centers, with fewer than 5,000 ft2 of computer floor, house half of all servers yet tend to have only poor-to-fair energy management and are commonplace in federal facilities. It therefore identifies small facilities as where the improvement opportunity is concentrated.

The document's real function is signposting. The FEMP-sponsored Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers, located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supplies technical support, tools, best practices and analyses. The Data Center Profiler (DC Pro) tool estimates PUE at an early stage, alongside the IT Equipment, Air Management and Electrical Power Chain tools. The Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) programme certifies practitioners who can evaluate data centers, and FEMP offers webinars, in-person training and on-demand courses. Design figures and methods are not part of this sheet.

Key points

1. U.S. data centers used about 176 TWh in 2023, roughly 4.4% of total U.S. electricity, compared with about 70 TWh in 2014.
2. Data center energy use is projected to grow 13% to 27% per year (CAGR) from 2023 through 2028.
3. Small data centers (under 5,000 ft2 of computer floor) house about half of all servers and typically have poor-to-fair energy management.
4. Federal data center energy efficiency requirements come from the OMB Data Center Optimization Initiative (OMB memorandum M-16-19); FEMP helps agencies meet them.
5. The DC Pro tool estimates PUE at an early stage; companion tools cover IT equipment, air management and the electrical power chain.
6. The Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) programme certifies practitioners able to evaluate energy status and efficiency opportunities in data centers.
7. The document is largely a signpost to other material; its figures derive from the 2024 LBNL report.

Using it in design

• For a small data center or server room, write metering, air management and monitoring requirements into the specification from the start, given that energy management in this class tends to be poor.
• Consider using the DC Pro tool and the system tools (IT equipment, air management, electrical power chain) for quick early-stage PUE estimates.
• On a federal or federally linked project, include the OMB M-16-19 requirements and FEMP support in the design requirements.
• If you need a numerical demand-growth scenario, do not use the 13%-27% range from this sheet directly; go to the underlying 2024 LBNL report and check its assumptions.

Who should read it

Designers and facility managers of federal or small data centers who want a quick entry point to the relevant tools, training and guidance.

Document contents

1. Data Center Energy Efficiency
2. Center of Expertise
3. Data Center Energy Practitioner Program
4. Guidance for Small Data Centers
5. Other Training
6. Simulation Tools
7. FEMP Data Center Program Contact

Read the document

Publication details

Authors

U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

Publisher

U.S. DOE FEMP

Year

2025

Document language

English

Source type

Government / public

Access

Open licence — downloadable

Licence

U.S. public domain — U.S. Government work; free to reuse

Licence evidence

www.energy.gov

Citation