NTT Global Data Centers argues that the next challenge for AI infrastructure is no longer demand but execution. In its new Can Data Centers Keep Pace with AI? report, developed with ThoughtLab, the company says global AI-driven data center demand is expected to grow between 23% and 30% annually through 2030, but warns that power availability, equipment shortages, land constraints, and labor availability could prevent supply from keeping pace.

The report identifies electricity as the industry’s most significant limiting factor. According to NTT, grid capacity and utility interconnections are becoming major constraints in key markets, particularly across the United States and Europe, where securing sufficient power increasingly determines whether AI data center projects can move forward on schedule.

Beyond power, NTT highlights growing pressure across the infrastructure supply chain. The company says long lead times for processors, transformers, switchgear, and backup generators are slowing deployments, while shortages of skilled construction labor and increasing community opposition to new developments are extending project timelines. Together, these factors are reshaping how operators plan AI infrastructure investments and manage project risk.

The report argues that improving infrastructure efficiency will be just as important as expanding capacity. NTT recommends wider adoption of advanced cooling technologies, AI-driven operations, workload optimization, and more consistent reporting of metrics such as power usage effectiveness (PUE) and water usage effectiveness (WUE). According to the company, greater transparency around efficiency metrics and earlier coordination with utilities and equipment suppliers will be critical to supporting the next phase of AI infrastructure growth.