Powering the Data-Center Boom with Low-Carbon Solutions

The report highlights the surge in data center electricity demand due to generative AI, projecting global consumption could reach 2,300 TWh by 2030. It identifies four primary barriers to decarbonization—infrastructure planning, energy efficiency, green electricity scaling, and policy incentives—and suggests solutions including optimized location, rigorous efficiency standards, and grid-friendly power behaviors.

• Global data center electricity consumption was approximately 460 TWh in 2022, representing about 1.7 percent of the global total. This consumption is projected to grow annually by 6–22 percent, potentially reaching between 750 and 2,300 TWh by 2030, which could result in annual carbon emissions of 340 million to 1,040 million tons (0.9–2.8 percent of global emissions based on 2023 levels).
• The transition of data centers to lower emissions is hindered by four main challenges: inadequate coordination in energy infrastructure planning, unrealized energy efficiency in IT systems and buildings, difficulties in increasing green electricity use, and insufficient market and policy incentives.

APA

RMI (2024). Powering the Data-Center Boom with Low-Carbon Solutions. https://rmi.org/resources/powering-the-data-center-boom-with-low-carbon-solutions/

Chicago

RMI. Powering the Data-Center Boom with Low-Carbon Solutions. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/powering-the-data-center-boom-with-low-carbon-solutions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Powering the Data-Center Boom with Low-Carbon Solutions |date=17 November 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/powering-the-data-center-boom-with-low-carbon-solutions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024powering, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Powering the Data-Center Boom with Low-Carbon Solutions}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/powering-the-data-center-boom-with-low-carbon-solutions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }