Scientist Predicts Australia’s Data Centres Will Consume 15% of National Energy by 2030
Energy consumption from data centres in Australia could surpass that of the transport sector within the next decade, according to Ascelin Gordon, a scientist at RMIT University.
During his presentation to the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) on July 17, Gordon highlighted the potential environmental impact of data centres and AI technologies.
Currently, data centres globally consume 1 to 3 percent of electricity, with Australia accounting for about 5 percent of the country’s energy usage. Gordon predicts that this figure could rise to 8-15 percent by 2030.
Mark Stickells, CEO of Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre in Western Australia, noted that as data centres increase processing power, their energy consumption also rises. The efficiency of supercomputers has improved, but their environmental impact has grown, necessitating a connection to the power grid despite efforts to utilize solar panels.
Gordon emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the environmental impacts of AI technologies, particularly as their popularity grows. He pointed out that the energy consumption of AI applications like ChatGPT can be significantly higher than traditional searches, with generative AI models requiring even more energy.
To address these environmental concerns, Gordon suggested incentivizing tech companies to reduce their carbon footprint through initiatives like the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact. However, regulating the environmental impact of AI technologies poses challenges due to the global nature of these companies and data centres.
Despite these hurdles, Gordon stressed the importance of increasing awareness and dialogue within the industry and among the general public to address the growing environmental impact of AI technologies.
