Benefits Beyond Connectivity

Data centers support significant economic activity throughout the United States, with benefits that reach workers, suppliers, and communities. In 2024, PwC estimated data center construction and operations supported:

• • Approximately 5.5 million jobs across the U.S. economy.
  • $525.3 billion in labor income, including wages, salaries, and benefits, as well as income earned by self-employed workers.
  • $926.9 billion in contributions to U.S. GDP.
  • $204.4 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.

Data centers create high-quality technology jobs that offer competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and specialized technical training that can launch long-term careers. These positions—ranging from data center technicians and facility managers to network engineers and cybersecurity specialists—provide stable, year-round employment that supports local families while building a skilled workforce positioned to attract future tech investments. The benefits also extend beyond the industry. In 2024, each direct job in the data center industry supported an estimated 4.5 additional jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy, including jobs connected to supplier purchases and household spending, which accounts for approximately 5.5 million jobs across the U.S. economy.

The servers that store much of the data needed to operate modern digital infrastructure generate heat and require cooling. Many technologies, such as air cooling, liquid cooling, or a combination of both, can help keep data center server halls at the right temperature and humidity. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for cooling, and the best approach often depends on unique factors, like humidity, climate, and availability of recycled, non-potable, or harvested water sources.

The industry continues to invest in water management technologies and efficiency practices like air-cooled systems, closed-loop water recycling, and dry cooling technologies.

Data centers are highly energy-efficient facilities that help enable energy savings for homes and businesses. The industry prioritizes increasing energy efficiency and facilities are designed to optimize energy use from day one.

Keeping data centers on American soil is critical to our national security. In addition to securing our sensitive information in the United States, data centers also provide the digital infrastructure that ensures U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century economy, including in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, which are essential to our global competitiveness and national security.

Data centers are essential infrastructure for future technological and environmental advancements.

The U.S. is transitioning to advanced manufacturing and clean energy technologies, including electric vehicles, heating systems, and household appliances, all of which require the digital infrastructure offered by data centers.

Data centers support the digitization of our economy, widespread vehicle and building electrification, the onshoring of advanced manufacturing, growth in controlled environment agriculture, and other 21st century economic drivers.

Data centers are some of the largest buyers of clean energy, contributing to our sustainability goals. Data center commitments to purchase clean energy and funding for new energy sources are helping to accelerate America’s clean energy transition.

In fact, wind and solar capacity contracted to data center providers and customers represented two-thirds of the total U.S. corporate renewables market in 2023. Additionally, many data center companies have committed to being carbon neutral and supporting their operations with 100% clean energy by 2030.