To better understand AI’s growing energy use, analysts need a data revolution

Abstract

Eric Masanet is the Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he holds appointments in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He has authored more than 150 scientific publications on sustainability modeling of energy and materials demand systems, with particular focuses on data centers and IT systems. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, with a focus on sustainable manufacturing.

Nuoa Lei is a research affiliate in the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division of the Energy Technologies Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. With over a decade of experience in energy modeling and sustainability analysis, Dr. Lei is dedicated to contributing to global decarbonization, environmental sustainability, and climate change mitigation. He holds a PhD in energy systems analysis and dual MS degrees in mechanical engineering and statistics from Northwestern University, Evanston.

Jonathan Koomey is president of Koomey Analytics. He was in the past a visiting professor at Stanford, Yale, and UC Berkeley and a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dr. Koomey holds MS and PhD degrees from the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley and an AB in history and science from Harvard. He is the author or coauthor of more than 200 articles and reports and 10 books, including Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving and Solving Climate Change: A Guide for Learners and Leaders. More at http://www.koomey.com.