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- By 2030, global electricity consumption by data centres could rise to 945 TWh \u2014 more than double the figure for 2024.<\/li>\n
- According to estimates by Rystad Energy, data centres directly consumed 222 billion litres of water for cooling in 2025.<\/li>\n
- An investigation is underway in Finland into possible environmental breaches during the preparation of 330 hectares of woodland for a Google data centre.<\/li>\n
- Norway is concerned about a future electricity shortage due to the rapid expansion of data centre infrastructure.<\/li>\n
- In the US, local authorities are considering dozens of initiatives to restrict the construction of new data centres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Artificial intelligence is sparking a new race for electricity<\/h2>\n
Every chatbot response, image generation or video processing task carried out using AI requires computational power. These tasks are performed on servers housed in specialised data centres.<\/p>\n
The average user is unaware of this infrastructure. However, behind the operation of modern models lie thousands of specialised processors, data storage systems, networking equipment and powerful cooling systems.<\/p>\n
Unlike traditional data centres, AI computing clusters can have a significantly higher energy consumption density. The equipment operates under heavy load, generating a large amount of heat.<\/p>\n
According to estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2024 data centres<\/a> consumed approximately 415 terawatt-hours of electricity \u2014 around 1.5% of global consumption.<\/p>\n
By 2030, this figure could rise to 945 terawatt-hours. This is more than Japan\u2019s current annual electricity consumption.<\/p>\n
In 2025, according to updated IEA figures, global energy consumption by data centres increased by 17%, whilst that of facilities specifically dedicated to AI grew even faster.<\/p>\n
The energy problem is not just about the total number of kilowatt-hours. New data centres are often concentrated in specific regions where the existing electricity grids are not designed to cope with such a rapid increase in demand.<\/p>\n
The construction of a modern data centre can take several years. By contrast, the construction of new power stations, high-voltage substations and transmission grids often takes considerably longer.<\/p>\n
That is precisely why technology companies are increasingly seeking their own long-term sources of electricity. Options include solar and wind power stations, gas-fired power generation, geothermal energy and nuclear reactors.<\/p>\n
How much water does artificial intelligence need?<\/h2>\n
Electricity is just one of the resources required by data centres. Another, less obvious one, is water.<\/p>\n
Servers under heavy load generate heat, which must be continuously dissipated. Some data centres use evaporative cooling systems for this purpose.<\/p>\n
Water absorbs heat and then partially evaporates. This method may be more energy-efficient than air-cooling alone, but it places an additional strain on local water resources.<\/p>\n
According to estimates by the analysis firm Rystad Energy, data centres will have directly consumed around 222 billion litres of water for cooling in 2025.<\/p>\n
If the sector continues to expand without sufficient adoption of water-saving technologies, this figure could rise to approximately 644 billion litres per year by 2030.<\/p>\n
Under a scenario involving significant reductions in water consumption, it will amount to around 388 billion litres.<\/p>\n
These estimates apply to all data centres, not just artificial intelligence systems. Nor do they fully account for the indirect use of water in the generation of electricity and the manufacture of microchips.<\/p>\n
The location of the facility is also a factor. In a region with abundant water supplies, additional industrial consumption may cause fewer problems than in an area that regularly suffers from droughts.<\/p>\n
Google acknowledges that, under certain conditions, water cooling can reduce electricity consumption by approximately 10% compared with air cooling. Thus, reducing the use of one resource sometimes requires an increase in the consumption of another.<\/p>\n
At the same time, there are closed-loop liquid cooling technologies in which heat is drawn away from the processors without the water constantly evaporating. Microsoft is already implementing such solutions in new projects.<\/p>\n
However, the use of this technology does not mean that the data centre uses no water at all: water may still be required for other operations, and the generation of the electricity consumed also has its own water footprint.<\/p>\n
Finland: hundreds of thousands of trees to make way for a new data centre<\/h2>\n
In Mukhos, the scale of the future construction project had become apparent even before the servers were installed.<\/p>\n
Google\u2019s subsidiary, Tuike Finland, is preparing the site cleared around 330 hectares of woodland<\/a>. Environmentalists estimate that around 250,000 trees have been felled.<\/p>\n
According to their estimates, a further 150,000 trees were felled at another of the company\u2019s sites in Otanm\u00e4ki.<\/p>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2297901479-e1792766792878-1024x576.webp\")
Google Tuike Finland has cleared around 330 hectares of forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The Finnish supervisory authorities have established that preparatory work likely to significantly alter the natural environment was carried out before the environmental impact assessment procedure had been completed.<\/p>\n
The companies were ordered to halt the relevant work at both sites. Following this, the police launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the site preparation in Mukhos.<\/p>\n
Antti J\u00e4rvinen, Google\u2019s country manager in Finland, has apologised for the large-scale tree felling. At the same time, the company stated that it had acted in accordance with its understanding of the legal requirements.<\/p>\n
For local environmentalists, the problem goes far beyond the number of trees that have been felled.<\/p>\n
Deforestation alters animal habitats and affects the soil, surface water runoff and natural ecosystems. Residents of Mukhos also reported murky water flowing from the cleared area towards local watercourses. These reports require assessment by specialists.<\/p>\n
Finland attracts technology companies with its relatively cool climate, land resources and energy infrastructure. Dozens of new data centre projects are currently being considered in the country.<\/p>\n
However, the Google case has highlighted the conflict between the desire to attract major investment and the need to protect natural areas.<\/p>\n
Norway has faced another problem \u2014 an electricity shortage<\/h2>\n
For decades, Norway enjoyed a competitive advantage thanks to its extensive hydropower capacity. Relatively cheap electricity made the country attractive to energy-intensive industries.<\/p>\n
These very advantages are now attracting the attention of data centre operators.<\/p>\n