Green Data Centers

Digital emissions from the data centers that make cloud computing possible are responsible for between 1.5 and 5 percent of global CO2 emissions. To help lower emissions, a focus has been placed on creating net-zero-energy data centers through renewable energy use, innovative cooling techniques, and AI-enabled energy optimization. The global green data center market is projected to grow to $307.52 billion by 2032.

This trend is reshaping decisions about where to locate these facilities. Tech companies are now looking for suitable regions with abundant access to renewable energy sources, environmentally friendly cooling options, and incentives to support sustainable data center development. Additionally, post-COVID, some cities have started to repurpose abandoned office buildings into data centers or colocation centers, facilities owned by companies that rent out the space and equipment to host data centers. Such facilities have the potential to be integrated into our existing urban ecosystems; for example, waste heat from data centers can be used to generate energy for district heating systems.

Planners can play an important role in identifying appropriate locations for data centers and considering their impacts. For more on the potential impacts of increasing digital emissions, read the APA report Digitalization and Implications for Planning, and learn more about data centers in "Data Centers Evolved: A Primer for Planners" from Planning and "Zoning for Data Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining" from Zoning Practice.