By the end of the decade, around half of the global energy demand for datacentres is expected to come from renewables, including solar PV, wind and hydro.
Combined, renewables are the fastest-growing source of electricity for datacentres. The next  most important energy supply in 2030 will be natural gas and coal, while the role of nuclear power is also expected to become more prominent.
A range of energy sources will be needed to meet global datacentres’ growing electricity needs.
The composition of electricity sources used to power data centers depends on the availability and cost-competitiveness of different sources in respective markets.
In China, for example, coal represents a higher share of electricity generation than in the U.S., which has a higher share of natural gas.
In both countries, nuclear power is set to increase significantly, as well as solar and wind.
In China, solar PV electricity generation is expected to surge from 7 TWh in 2025 to 83 TWh in 2035, not far behind the U.S.’ 97 TWh in 2035.
In terms of wind, the U.S. will scale up from 28 TWh to 83 TWh over the ten years, nearly double that of China’s 44 TWh in 2035.
Meanwhile, the U.S. will phase down its coal power generation with datacentres expected to see a decline from 28 TWh to 7 TWh.
The report states that the demand for electricity for data centers will not be felt equally.
For example, in the U.S. it will account for almost half of the growth in electricity demand, while it will account for more than half in Japan and one-fifth of the demand in Malaysia.
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