Sustainability has been a hot topic in the data center industry for several years, and that trend will certainly extend into 2025. But what, exactly, will data center operators do in the new year to improve sustainability? Which new technologies or techniques are they likely to adopt? And which novel sustainability challenges might they face?
Here’s a roundup of data center sustainability trends expected to impact the industry in the coming year.
1. Surging Data Center Energy Use
Arguably the most important data center trend to watch in the new year will be just how much additional energy data centers use. A PGIM report from 2024 predicted that total data center energy consumption would double by 2026.
If this is true, it will have profound implications for data center sustainability because doubling data center energy usage likely translates roughly to a doubling of the amount of emissions associated with data centers. Data center operators and utilities companies may be able to leverage low-emissions renewable energy to accommodate some of the surge in demand, but the bulk of it will almost certainly be met by “dirty” energy, at least in the short term.
That said, it’s possible that predictions about major increases in data center energy consumption are off the mark. Over the course of the year, it should become clearer how severe the energy usage surge is – and how many new sustainability challenges it creates for the industry.
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