AI Boom Could Double Data Centre Power, Water Use By 2030

AI is expected to increase the environmental burden of data centres over the next few years. According to a new report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, global data centre electricity and water consumption could nearly double by 2030 as companies expand infrastructure to meet growing AI demand.The report revealed that AI is not just software running in the cloud. It depends on massive physical infrastructure, including data centres, power generation systems, cooling facilities, transmission networks, semiconductor chips, minerals, land and water resources.In 2025, data centres consumed around 448 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity worldwide -- more than the annual power consumption of Saudi Arabia.

AI workloads accounted for nearly 20 per cent of that total. Data centres also used about 4.5 trillion litres of water and generated 189 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.Microsoft AI CEO Says Anthropic Is Their Biggest Threat, Here's Why

According to the UN researchers, the annual electricity consumption from data centres could rise to 945 TWh by 2030, roughly equal to Japan's current power usage. AI is expected to account for around 40 per cent of that demand.Water usage is also projected to increase sharply, reaching 9.3 trillion litres by the end of the decade. Carbon dioxide emissions from data centres could more than double to 399 million tonnes annually.The report further notes that the land occupied by data centres may expand from about 6,900 square kilometres in 2025 to over 14,500 square kilometres by 2030 as more facilities are built worldwide.Kaveh Madani, Director of the institute and lead author of the report, said public discussions often overlook the physical resources required to support AI technologies.How AI Can Soon Help Humans Directly Talk To Animals

"The public debate still often treats AI as software, but AI is also physical infrastructure: data centres, electricity generation, cooling systems, transmission networks, chips, minerals, land and water," Madani added.While AI can help improve efficiency in areas such as power grid management and waste reduction, the overall demand for electricity and water is still expected to grow rapidly as governments and companies race to build new AI infrastructure."AI will not simply 'run out' ⁠of water or electricity worldwide. But in specific places, poorly planned data centre expansion could collide with existing resource pressures. That is why responsible planning matters now, before infrastructure and dependencies become locked in," Madani stressed.