By the numbers

4,000-plus

Estimated number of data centers operating or under development in the United States.

1 million

Square feet or more for some of the largest data centers. A typical facility contains thousands of servers

4.4%

Share of total U.S. electricity used by data centers in 2023. That share could rise to as much as 12% by 2028

176 trillion watt-hours

Electricity used by U.S. data centers in 2023, more than the amount sold that year in either Pennsylvania or New York

5 million gallons

Amount of water a large data center can use in a single day, depending on its size and cooling system

38 states

States offering tax incentives designed to attract data center development

David Heath, Lee Enterprises

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