There is concern that there isn’t enough energy to go around. In 2024, the IEA reported that energy demands from data centers and AI will likely more than double from 460 terawatt-hour (TWh) of electricity in 2022 to more than 1,000 TWh by 2026, which it said is “roughly equivalent to the energy consumption of Japan.”
Space data centers, by contrast, would instead be equipped with solar-panel-equipped satellites designed to harness power directly from the sun, offset heat into space, and not be limited by available land.
“Think of space as the next frontier to conquer,” added Jornet. “There was a gold rush in the West. Now there is the space rush, and everyone wants to put their technology in space.”
https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/01/06/ai-data-centers-in-space