Data Center World 2025 officially opened its doors today, with thousands of delegates from around the world gathering to tackle the twin challenge of scaling for AI and building sustainably.
Bill Kleyman, AFCOM Data Center World Program Chair, set the scene during his opening remarks by noting that soaring demand and increased awareness of data centers were being tempered by mounting constraints.
“Our industry is having a moment,” Kleyman said. “The data center industry faces unprecedented challenges across the board, skyrocketing demand, supply chain constraints, and a rapidly evolving workforce. But the most critical issue, our biggest barrier to entry in this industry, is power: sourcing it sustainability and making sure that it’s scalable for a truly AI-driven future.”
Analysts agreed that the need for scalable, resilient infrastructure is more pressing than ever. Data Center World was again prefaced by the Omdia Analyst Summit, held Monday. The summit offered a snapshot of the industry’s current state and predictions for the future.
The Omdia Analyst Summit at Data Center World drew a packed crowd. Image: James Walker.
Vlad Galabov, research director at Omdia’s cloud and data center practice, stated that the industry would be worth $1 trillion by 2030.
He also noted that AI’s share of data center power capacity has already exceeded expectations – and is now forecast to reach 27% of total consumption by the end of the year.
“We think that data center investment will reach $1 trillion by 2030,” Galabov said. “We think 70% of the revenue opportunity will come from AI.”
Finding Fuel for the Future
The theme for this year’s Data Center World is ‘Powering the Industry’s Future’ – and few topics loomed larger than energy supply and the need to scale sustainably.
Dave Bell, vice president of data center microgrid development at VoltaGrid, took to the Data Center World main stage to highlight the significant energy consumption of data centers, currently at 176 TWh annually and projected to rise to 325-580 TWh by 2025-2027.
Citing official data, Bell noted that data centers consume around 4.4% of U.S. electricity, with natural gas accounting for 43% of the grid’s energy.
“The data center market uses more natural gas than the cities of New York, San Francisco, and Chicago combined,” he said. “In the U.S., we have an immense capacity for natural gas. That fuel is around everywhere. But as my grandma used to say: waste not want not.”
With demand for digital infrastructure services only expected to grow over the coming years, Bell emphasized the importance of efficiency and proximity, suggesting that data centers colocate nearer to natural gas basins like the Permian Basin to reduce transmission losses and lower costs.
Data Center World 2025 takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Image: James Walker
Industry pioneer Christian Belady, who accepted the 2025 AFCOM Lifetime Achievement Award during today’s opening ceremony, expanded the conversation beyond power and energy – pointing to the delicate interplay of challenges shaping the industry’s future.
“We can’t just think about power,” Belady said. “We have to think about the whole supply chain. We are growing at such a rapid rate that it’s no longer about one issue. We have to think about standards. I look at some of the struggles we have in converting over to liquid cooling, which is much needed in the industry.
“The problem is that everything is a boutique solution. People have to come together and standardize. I think collaboration is going to be a big deal in the future.”
Ultimately, Belady urged the industry to act with greater ambition.
“When I look at where this industry is, it’s still in the beginning,” he said. “Working at Microsoft, we were always talking about “10x”. But in reality, we were thinking too small.”
