A new research work by Loughborough University warns that global renewable electricity supply will be unable to meet the surging demand from digital data by 2025. In the paper, published in Energy Policy, Loughborough Business School academics Dr. Vitor Castro, Professors Tom Jackson and Ian Hodgkinson have presented econometric models showing the world’s current trajectory towards a ‘data doomsday’.
Their research also forecasts that, based on current energy projections, global electricity supply will be unable to meet the surging demand from digital data within the next decade. Startlingly, if data consumption continues unabated, electricity demand driven by data could exceed global electricity production by 2033.
Data centres alone consume more power than the entire UK and are estimated to contain 65% dark data – digital knowledge assets that are used once and then forgotten about.
The University’s Digital Decarb Design Group is calling for urgent action to address the environmental challenges posed by unchecked digital data growth.
Speaking about their latest findings, Dr. Castro said, “Our research underlines the need 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 decarbonised digital ecosystem, thereby supporting the global pursuit of a sustainable, net-zero future.”
