Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/07/datacenter_energy_goldman_sachs/
Source: The Register
Title: Datacenter energy use to more than double by 2030 thanks to AI’s insatiable thirst
Feedly Summary: Shocking research warns electricity shortages could create construction bottleneck
AI’s thirst for electricity will see datacenter energy use more than double by the end of the decade – just five years from now – according to the latest forecast from investment banker Goldman Sachs.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses projections from Goldman Sachs regarding the rapid increase in electricity consumption due to the rising demands of AI workloads in data centers, emphasizing that energy use may more than double by 2030. This trend highlights critical implications for infrastructure and cloud computing security, as well as compliance with energy regulations and resource management.
Detailed Description:
The analysis provided by Goldman Sachs underscores significant trends in energy consumption within the data center industry, driven by the growing needs of AI technologies. The report has several implications for professionals in infrastructure security, cloud computing, and energy management:
– **Projected Energy Demands:**
– Current global data center power use is approximately 55 GW, with forecasts indicating an increase to 122 GW by the end of 2030.
– AI workloads are expected to increase their share of power consumption from 14% to 27% by 2027.
– Cloud computing will dominate with an estimated 50% of total data center energy consumption.
– **Infrastructure Capacity Challenges:**
– The anticipated demand surge necessitates substantial investment in electricity grids, with estimates approaching $720 billion needed for upgrades by 2030.
– Delays in permitting and building transmission projects can bottleneck data center expansion, leading to strategic implications for site selection and resource allocation.
– **Financial Cloud Investment:**
– Major companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are committing significant capital expenditures to expand AI infrastructure, highlighting an important investment trend that security professionals should monitor regarding risk assessment and market positioning.
– **Potential Environmental Impact:**
– A report indicates that data centers could emit three times more carbon dioxide due to increased generative AI workloads, prompting calls for improved energy generation and distribution strategies.
– **Market Dynamics:**
– Goldman Sachs predicts occupancy rates for datacenter infrastructures may peak at over 95% by late 2026. Post-2027, a cautious expectation of increased efficiency in AI models could lead to decreased need for massive infrastructure investments.
The implications of this report for security and compliance professionals are profound. They must consider the integration of energy consumption strategies into their infrastructure security planning, ensuring that systems are capable of handling both the demands of AI workloads and the evolving compliance landscape around energy use and environmental regulations. Furthermore, this analysis can inform capacity planning in cloud computing environments while underscoring the importance of monitoring the carbon footprint and preparing for potential regulatory changes.