Insights on decoupling data center energy growth from digitalization

This white paper examines the reasons for the projected increase in data center electricity use through 2030. The authors correlate annual data production with ICT energy consumption to discuss infrastructure and ICT technology. The analysis shows a disruption in compute efficiency starting around 2020, with recovery expected by 2026. The paper suggests that small improvements in power usage effectiveness (PUE) and compute efficiency from 2026 could reduce energy growth by 17%, decoupling data growth from energy use. This approach prioritizes clean energy supply over unbounded data center energy growth. Explore insights and recommendations for improving infrastructure and ICT efficiency.