Energy footprint and sustainability of data centres: Good practices for a global challenge

Event Information

Objective: Digital services, artificial intelligence, and crypto currency mining are pushing up global electricity demand from data centres and increasing pressure on grids. Governments must meet both rising energy demand and challenging climate commitments. During this session, participants exchanged approaches to fostering energy efficiency and carbon neutrality of data centres while strengthening the resilience and reliability of energy networks.

Description: Rapid expansion of digital services like e-commerce, video streaming, AI, and mining of crypto currencies has attracted a lot of media and government attention in the recent years, especially due to the resulting increase in energy demand.

The resulting rise in electricity demand poses a challenge to power systems’ abilities to offer grid access to new data centres, such as industrial plants, housing developments, and other big consumers. Governments recognise the role of data centres and digitalisation for economic development and competitiveness, while considering local and national impacts of this growing source of demand.

This session covered regulation, monitoring, and benchmarking data centres’ energy consumption. Invited stakeholders represented regions where important policy initiatives and targets have been adopted to promote the sustainability of data centres.

The discussion brought to light opportunities to support the decarbonisation of data centres through effective cooling technologies, co-location, reutilisation of waste heat, utilisation of data centres’ storage, and battery capacity for grid flexibility services.

This session was aimed at policy makers, industry stakeholders, and experts wishing to better understand the current situation, emerging trends, and key challenges faced by public authorities. It was an opportunity learn about regulatory frameworks and best practices from around the world. Short polls gauged participants’ interests and perspectives.

About the event: This session took place during the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) Policy Conference, the biggest annual conference dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe. The sessions focus on sustainable energy issues, highlighting new policy developments, best practices, and innovative ideas. For more information, please visit the EUSEW event page.