AI’s Energy Appetite: What Data Centers Mean for the Future of Electricity Prices

Discover how AI-driven data centers are reshaping electricity demand, prices, and why smarter HVAC and efficiency are critical for sustainable growth.

Ava Montini

Jan 27, 2026

Written by

Published on

Powering intelligence, shaping energy

Artificial intelligence has gone from “what if” to “what now.” We use it to draft reports, analyze data, streamline workflows, and even generate design ideas. But while the results appear on our screens instantly, what powers them is anything but invisible.

Behind every AI tool is a data center; rows of servers drawing massive amounts of power and generating equally massive amounts of heat. And with AI adoption soaring, those facilities are putting real pressure on our electricity grids.

Bloomberg recently reported that in PJM, the largest U.S. grid, capacity prices jumped sharply as AI-driven data center demand climbed (Bloomberg). For operators, this is a direct hit to energy budgets.

So while AI is exciting, it comes with a new operational reality: efficiency in cooling, airflow, and HVAC isn’t optional. It’s the difference between runaway costs and sustainable growth.

Why AI is different from past computing booms

Previous waves of digital growth (like cloud adoption) drove steady data center expansion. But AI is different. Training large models consumes enormous amounts of energy. The International Energy Agency estimates that data center electricity use could nearly double by 2030 to around 1,000 TWh, roughly equal to Japan’s entire annual consumption (IEA).

And it’s not just training. Inference: the everyday process of users asking questions or running AI tasks is multiplying demand across millions of devices. Goldman Sachs forecasts a 165% increase in data center power demand by 2030, largely due to AI (Goldman Sachs).

Cooling: a hidden energy driver

When people think about data centers, they picture racks of servers. But behind that computing load is another energy giant: cooling.

HVAC, chillers, pumps, and fans often make up 30–40% of total energy use in data centers (U.S. DOE). That means the “support systems” keeping servers at safe temperatures can rival the IT equipment itself in energy demand.

And because these systems run 24/7, even small inefficiencies snowball:

A high-resistance filter forces fans to draw extra kilowatts all day, every day.
A dirty coil reduces heat transfer, stretching compressor runtimes.
A miscalibrated damper throws airflow off balance, raising both costs and emissions.

Clogged filters can cut supply airflow by over 35%, driving higher fan power and cooling loads (MDPI). Others highlight how loaded filters in constant-speed systems directly increase electricity use (University of Texas at Austin).

Now scale that across a hyperscale AI-driven facility. A 3% efficiency penalty may look small on paper, but in practice, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually and add unnecessary CO₂e to your footprint.

That’s why low-pressure, high-efficiency filtration matters. It cuts resistance without sacrificing capture, reducing fan energy hour after hour. For operators under pressure from rising power prices and sustainability goals, it’s one of the simplest ways to shrink cooling costs while protecting uptime.

Why efficiency pays off more now

Energy savings have always lowered costs. But as grids get stressed and data center demand rises, the value of each saved kilowatt is climbing. Bloomberg recently reported that capacity prices on PJM, the largest U.S. grid, have spiked because of new data center growth (Bloomberg).

In practical terms, this changes the math:

A coil cleaning that once took years to pay for itself can now pay back in just a few months.
Smarter controls and calibrated ventilation keep you protected when prices swing.
Low-pressure filtration quietly reduces fan energy every hour, stacking up bigger savings as electricity prices rise.

The bottom line is that efficiency has become one of the fastest and most reliable ways to control operating costs in an unpredictable energy market.

Building smarter, not just bigger

For operators, the roadmap isn’t a mystery. The tools are already here:

Low-pressure filtration to keep fans efficient hour after hour.
Adaptive cooling strategies like variable-speed fans, economizers, and containment to right-size energy use.
Monitoring-based commissioning and diagnostics to stop efficiency losses before they become routine.
Load shifting and grid-aware operations to tap cleaner, cheaper hours of power (IEA).

Every watt counts

As AI expands, data centers will continue to carry a heavier share of global electricity demand. That makes efficiency less of an option and more of an operating requirement.

The lesson is simple: efficiency and reliability are not competing goals. When facilities prioritize both, they not only manage rising energy costs but also reduce their carbon footprint in measurable, reportable ways. AI may be shaping the demand curve, but how operators respond will shape the industry's long-term sustainability.

Blade Air Case Study: Toronto Distillery District

Jennifer Crowley
Jul 31, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jul 9, 2024

The iconic Gooderham & Worts building at the historic Distillery District in Toronto — The Distillery District was looking for a solution that would be able to find a balance between their desire to continuously reduce their carbon footprint while also creating a healthier workspace for their tenants.

The Problem

In December 2021, the Distillery District management team contacted Blade Air looking for a solution to improve the indoor air quality in their buildings from the current MERV-13 filters they were running. Searching for a solution, the Distillery District’s main concern was around the prohibitive costs of installing and maintaining a HEPA or UV solution, both of which are incredibly energy intensive. Instead, they were looking for a solution that would be able to find a balance between their desire to continuously reduce their carbon footprint while also creating a healthier workspace for their tenants.

The Solution: Blade’s IAQ Technology

The solution was the implementation of Blade Air’s electrostatic polarized filters (ESF). These filters utilize active polarization fields to outperform HEPA in their capture efficiency of particulate matter in the viral range. Each filter has close to a 90% lower static pressure than HEPA and over 70% lower than the MERV-13s that had been installed. In addition to outperforming the capture efficiencies of HEPA, like UV, these filters are also able to inactivate viruses. The significantly lower static pressure of the units and minimal amounts of electricity required to power the solution offer significant energy savings.

The Trial

With the technology selected, Blade Air and the Distillery District agreed to a trial where the solution would be implemented across two buildings- the Stone Building and the private school on-site, Voice Integrative School.

The following two tests were facilitated:

Energy Savings
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

The test was agreed to be completed on the second floor of the Stone Building, in offices that were at full capacity. The trials took place throughout a 70-day window, starting ten days before installation and finishing 60 days after.

Energy Savings Trial Highlights

Project Period: July 27, 2022 – August 16, 2022

Blade Air electrostatic filters measured a 29.8% increase in airflow compared to the prior MERV-13s before rebalancing back to the original airflow speed measured.
After rebalancing the airflow, Blade Air electrostatic filters created a 75% reduction in energy consumption.

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Trial Highlights

Project Period: July 11, 2022 – September 26, 2022

Blade Air electrostatic filters perform 2.25x better than the standard MERV-13 filter in dispersing live bacteria in the indoor environment.
Blade Air electrostatic filters will more than likely destroy contaminants of sub-micron sizes, such as viruses, during their passage.
Blade Air electrostatic filters perform equally to a MERV-13 filter in managing the dispersion of living mould spores in the indoor environment.

Case Study: What are the benefits of this project?

a clear ligtbulb with a small plant growing inside nestled in black earth with a greenery backdrop — Blade Air's solution helped to reduce costs and increase productivity at the Distillery District

1. Significant Energy Savings: Save up to 75% of energy consumption by reducing the strain on your HVAC system.

2. Reduced Maintenance Costs: See up to 35% in energy cost savings post-installation due to less maintenance.

3. Enhanced Indoor Air Quality: Improve filtration performance by 2.25x and reduce airborne transmission.

4. Improved Cognitive Function for Staff, Students, and Clients: Enhancing IAQ positively correlates to improved cognitive function and productivity levels.

Continue reading the case study here.

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