INTRODUCTION
Data has an economic and environmental side effect that
is little noticed but very potent: it is highly energy intensive.
The energy consumption of data centers alone is projected to rise
from 200 Terawatt hours (TWh) in 2016 to a staggering 2967 TWh in
2030. By comparison: in 2022, China produced approx. 5,800 TWh of
energy from coal.
Data usage and consumption are not only an increasing cost
factor, but the subject is encroaching into environmental, social
and governance (ESG) and sustainability discussions. This is
especially due to data's vast and increasing growth and the
tremendous consumption of energy — the CO2 footprint and
other waste created when storing and handling data. As with the
entire ESG movement, there is also a risk of revenue churn due to
increased customer pressure for environmentally conscious behavior
and actions.
