background image

AI is exploding data center energy use. A Google-created technique may help

author image

By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Bloomberg or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: As artificial intelligence (AI) amplifies the energy consumption of data centers, a Google-initiated strategy aims to mitigate the environmental impact by leveraging software to locate and utilize clean electricity globally
• This approach seeks to shift data center operations to regions abundant in renewable energy sources, potentially reducing both carbon emissions and operational costs

🔭 The context: The exponential growth of AI is significantly increasing the energy demand of data centers, which already contribute notably to global energy consumption and carbon emissions
• With data centers and their networks accounting for a considerable carbon footprint, the tech industry is under pressure to find sustainable solutions
• Google's technique of load shifting represents a pioneering effort to align data center operations with the availability of renewable energy, thereby decarbonizing their power usage

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The adoption of this strategy by major data center operators can lead to a substantial reduction in the tech sector's carbon emissions, moving closer to achieving climate goals
• By optimizing the timing and location of data processing to coincide with renewable energy production, this method offers a path toward more sustainable and responsible AI development and data management

⏭️ What's next: The challenge remains in fully realizing 24/7 carbon-free operations across global data centers, especially in the face of data sovereignty laws and the inherent complexities of international energy grids
• However, initiatives like those by Google and Cirrus Nexus illustrate a critical step forward in leveraging technology to combat climate change, with potential for widespread adoption across industries

💬 One quote: "There’s an urgent need to figure out how to run data centers in ways that maximize renewable energy usage," (Chris Noble, co-founder and CEO of Cirrus Nexus)

📈 One stat: Data centers and transmission networks each account for up to 1.5% of global consumption, emitting as much carbon dioxide annually as Brazil

Click for more news covering the latest on environmental sustainability

Did you enjoy this illuminem voice? Support us by sharing this article!
author photo

About the author

illuminem's editorial team - providing you with concise summaries of the most important sustainability news of the day.

Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter​ & Instagram

Other illuminem Voices


Related Posts


You cannot miss it!

Weekly. Free. Your Top 10 Sustainability & Energy Posts.

You can unsubscribe at any time (read our privacy policy)