Digital data demand and renewable energy limits: Forecasting the impacts on global electricity supply and sustainability

Vitor Castro, Marios Georgiou, Thomas Jackson, Ian R. Hodgkinson, Lisa Jackson and Steve Lockwood

Energy Policy, 2024, vol. 195, issue C

Abstract: This study critically evaluates whether the current and projected generation of renewable energy can meet the escalating global demand for electricity from digital data growth. Our modelling forecasts reveal a concerning trend: despite the expansion in renewable energy capacities, they are likely insufficient to satisfy the burgeoning electricity needs of the digital data sector. More alarmingly, there is a real risk that the demand for digital data could soon exceed feasible electricity production capabilities. This paper underscores the urgent necessity for a data-centric sustainability approach across all supply chains, sectors, industries, and nations. Such measures are crucial to increase efficiency, cut energy usage, and transition towards a decarbonized digital ecosystem, thereby supporting the global pursuit of a sustainable, net-zero future. This research highlights a critical junction in energy policy and digital infrastructure planning, urging immediate action to reconcile digital advancement with ecological sustainability.

Keywords: Digital data; Energy demand; Renewable energy; Greenhouse gas emissions; Forecasting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:195:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524004245

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114404

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