Hyperscale AI Data Centers Power the Future—But at What Energy Cost?
Hyperscale AI data centers dominate MIT Technology Review's 2026 breakthrough list, consuming gigawatts equivalent to small nations while driving AI's compute explosion.
These football-field-sized facilities will double global data center energy to 200 GW by 2030, with fossil fuels supplying over 50% despite liquid cooling and waste-heat reuse innovations.