Generative AI and energy transfer. are among the greatest business revolutions of our time and, although they may seem far-fetched, the obstacles they present Interlinked. While tech companies have been at the forefront of climate action for years, with some committed to achieving net zero emissions by the end of this decade, the race to develop AI may be on. Sustainability objectives are discussed.. The data center sector is indeed facing the challenge of meeting the growing energy needs of AI workloads: the advanced algorithms that power it are based on high-performance hardware, which is required. A large amount of energy.
Love Studio “Power Moves: How CEOs Can Achieve Both AI and Climate Goals” Boston Consulting Group (BCG) explores the topic of global energy demand from data centers and provides an unprecedented perspective on it. Implications for Italywhich is one of the most dynamic markets in Europe. “There are dynamics of expansion. Redefining the infrastructure landscape Digital, raising the bar Challenges related to sustainability and resilience of electricity networks”, explains BCG project leader and energy and technology expert Julia Serrato.
Surprising growth in demand in the US
i The United StatesEnergy demand of data centers is growing at a staggering rate of 15-20% per year and is expected to continue to grow at these rates, reaching i. 100-130 GWh by 2030. At this rate, the U.S. could face a “severe” energy shortage—one that would be available all the time, regardless of conditions—by as early as 2026: the timeframe for starting new energy projects. Enough for, but not to complete them. .
Italy is in pole position in the European Union.
If this is the expected development in the US, Europe will not be left behind.. Italy stands out. As one of the most dynamic European markets, representing 13% European data centerswith energy absorption already at 430 MW, equivalent to 3% of national electricity consumption.
The data center market in our country is facing a Annual growth over 8%, with a significantly higher expansion compared to historical centers such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, which are between 4% and 8%. gave Joint Investments in Italy They got it 654 million Euro in 2023 (+10% compared to 2022). The value of is also increasing. the cloudboth private and public, reaching i 4.8 billion Euro and about 70 operators are active in the market.
Historically, data centers in Northern Europe have also been built to take advantage of natural cooling, i.e. techniques that take advantage of natural resources and environmental conditions to cool servers and equipment to reduce operating costs. . Today, however, the need to ensure the sustainability of emissions, water consumption and electricity networks, along with the need to decentralize infrastructure for security reasons, has increased investment in the South, in countries such as Italy and Spain. has happened
Defining a sustainable energy strategy is essential.
In this panorama – underlines BCG – it becomes Identifying reliable and sustainable energy solutions is crucial.to support this development. The first issue concerns the need for a. Ad Hoc Regulation A systemic approach to data centers and to matching demand with available energy supply, allowing our country to fully realize its business potential.
Among the emerging options are: Small modular reactors (SMR), which represents an exciting prospect to fuel the growth of this sector. Google and Amazon, always at the forefront, are already investing in small nuclear reactors, which are designed to be cheaper, faster to build and safer than conventional nuclear reactors. But the SMRs currently operating in the US have not yet moved beyond that. Design stagesAs such they present a series of challenges to be addressed from a technical, operational and permissive point of view for the definition of standards.
Regulatory development in Italy needs to be accelerated. Foster a structured dialogue. Among the key players in this sector. Aligning climate and AI development goals is possible, but no CEO or policymaker can do it alone. As highlighted by BCG, how leaders of energy companies, AI giants and end-users respond to the rapidly changing landscape will depend on the regional contexts in which they operate. For example, regulations may favor certain climate technologies over others, while trade barriers may impede access. for the main ingredients.
The solution to the problem of energy consumption can be, first, pass through. Consumption optimization Energy, but also for acceleration Investment And in search Clean energy sources and more climate-friendly, by 2030 and beyond.
