Digital data demand and renewable energy limits: Forecasting the impacts on global electricity supply and sustainability

IF 9.3 2区经济学 Q1 ECONOMICS Energy Policy Pub Date : 2024-10-31 DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114404

Vitor Castro , Marios Georgiou , Thomas Jackson , Ian R. Hodgkinson , Lisa Jackson , Steve Lockwood

{"title":"Digital data demand and renewable energy limits: Forecasting the impacts on global electricity supply and sustainability","authors":"Vitor Castro , Marios Georgiou , Thomas Jackson , Ian R. Hodgkinson , Lisa Jackson , Steve Lockwood","doi":"10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114404","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study critically evaluates whether the current and projected generation of renewable energy can meet the escalating global demand for electricity from digital data growth. Our modelling forecasts reveal a concerning trend: despite the expansion in renewable energy capacities, they are likely insufficient to satisfy the burgeoning electricity needs of the digital data sector. More alarmingly, there is a real risk that the demand for digital data could soon exceed feasible electricity production capabilities. This paper underscores the urgent necessity for a data-centric sustainability approach across all supply chains, sectors, industries, and nations. Such measures are crucial to increase efficiency, cut energy usage, and transition towards a decarbonized digital ecosystem, thereby supporting the global pursuit of a sustainable, net-zero future. This research highlights a critical junction in energy policy and digital infrastructure planning, urging immediate action to reconcile digital advancement with ecological sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11672,"journal":{"name":"Energy Policy","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 114404"},"PeriodicalIF":9.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Energy Policy","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421524004245","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study critically evaluates whether the current and projected generation of renewable energy can meet the escalating global demand for electricity from digital data growth. Our modelling forecasts reveal a concerning trend: despite the expansion in renewable energy capacities, they are likely insufficient to satisfy the burgeoning electricity needs of the digital data sector. More alarmingly, there is a real risk that the demand for digital data could soon exceed feasible electricity production capabilities. This paper underscores the urgent necessity for a data-centric sustainability approach across all supply chains, sectors, industries, and nations. Such measures are crucial to increase efficiency, cut energy usage, and transition towards a decarbonized digital ecosystem, thereby supporting the global pursuit of a sustainable, net-zero future. This research highlights a critical junction in energy policy and digital infrastructure planning, urging immediate action to reconcile digital advancement with ecological sustainability.

查看原文

微信好友朋友圈 QQ好友复制链接

本刊更多论文

数字数据需求与可再生能源限制：预测对全球电力供应和可持续性的影响

本研究对当前和预测的可再生能源发电量能否满足全球数字数据增长带来的不断攀升的电力需求进行了批判性评估。我们的建模预测揭示了一个令人担忧的趋势：尽管可再生能源发电能力不断扩大，但很可能无法满足数字数据领域不断增长的电力需求。更令人担忧的是，数字数据的需求可能很快就会超过可行的电力生产能力。本文强调，迫切需要在所有供应链、部门、行业和国家采取以数据为中心的可持续发展方法。这些措施对于提高效率、减少能源消耗、向去碳化的数字生态系统过渡，从而支持全球追求可持续的、净零排放的未来至关重要。这项研究强调了能源政策和数字基础设施规划中的一个关键节点，敦促人们立即采取行动，协调数字进步与生态可持续性之间的关系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文去求助

来源期刊

Energy Policy 管理科学-环境科学

CiteScore

17.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

540

审稿时长

7.9 months

期刊介绍： Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity (often governmental) has decided to address issues of energy development including energy conversion, distribution and use as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to contribute to climate change mitigation. The attributes of energy policy may include legislation, international treaties, incentives to investment, guidelines for energy conservation, taxation and other public policy techniques. Energy policy is closely related to climate change policy because totalled worldwide the energy sector emits more greenhouse gas than other sectors.