It’s no secret the demand for data processing and storage is exploding. Even before AI, between 2010 and 2025, the amount we created and stored went from around 2 to 181 zettabytes – with much stored and processed in data centers.
Of course, generative AI has massively increased data center demand. Last year Deloitte predicted data centers would consume 4% of global electricity by 2030.. According to the US Department of Energy, that figure’s already 4-5% in the US.
Water use, too, is a major concern for data centers. Large data centers can consume the same amount of water for cooling as a town of 10-50,000 people, per data from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. It’s clear something must be done to prevent putting additional strain on beleaguered electricity grids and water-stressed regions.
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