Business · The Register
AI-driven upgrade of communications energy storage empowers a new energy ecosystem for multiple industries
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AI datacenters have become a major driver of rising electricity consumption, but AI doesn't happen in a datacenter.
Key facts
- The International Energy Agency predicts total datacenter energy consumption will double between 2025 and 2030 to 950 TWh, representing three percent of global electricity demand, while AI datacenter
- Electricity consumption is now projected to grow at least 2.5 times faster than overall energy demand over the five years to 2030, it says
- The plant uses N-type PV panels and 350kW inverters, and when complete will produce 196GWh of energy, which amounts to 15 percent of the operator's energy consumption, and cut carbon by 88,000 tons
- The agency says that "proven applications of AI could help firms in energy-intensive industries reduce their energy costs by three to 10 percentage points
Summary
The International Energy Agency predicts total datacenter energy consumption will double between 2025 and 2030 to 950 TWh, representing three percent of global electricity demand, while AI datacenter consumption alone will triple over the same period. This all plays out against surging electricity demand in general, as sectors such as transportation and industry shift away from fossil fuels. The relationship runs both ways, the IEA notes. The agency adds, though, that "The energy sector as a whole is not yet taking full advantage of AI's potential. with lack of sufficient digital skills and data availability emerging as key barriers to adoption.