The IEA has estimated that the growth of AI and subsequent need for data centres, will lead to a doubling of technology related energy consumption.

The growth, from around 1.5 per cent of global energy use in 2024 to 3 per cent by 2030 is a concern in itself, with energy use potentially hitting 945TWh per annum, or that of the whole of Japan now. However, this is only one part of the IEA’s concerns.

The average data centre has an energy requirement of 100MW today, but there are data centres planned that could require twenty times that, or 2GW. This would place a strain on the grid of any nation alone, but then there is the added problem that data centres are being planned and built in geographical clusters.

Apart from the obvious security issues, the strain that could be placed on grids will be enormous, with potential connection delays and it is, according to the IEA, an issue that has not yet been fully thought out.

However, AI will also provide solutions. As the IEA says, “the energy and tech sectors are now on a journey together”.

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