E – 3041 Meeting the Data Center Energy Challenge. Technical, Environmental and Ethical Issues

A December 2024 study by the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division or the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [1] concluded that the worst-case scenario for Data Center electrical energy demand would be an increase from 60 TWh/year in 2014 to 580 TWh/yr in 2028, with a significant upswing in consumption between 2024 and 2028.  On the other hand, Elizer Yudkowski claims that “If Everyone Builds it, Everyone Dies,” which inserts a possible ethical dilemma into the equation of powering Data Centers that support certain types of Artificial Intelligence.

This course will explore methods of meeting whatever this energy demand might be in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner with renewable energy sources backed up by energy storage systems.  It will also explore the possibility that, with careful planning and implementation, the addition of the centers can assist in the stabilization of the electrical grid.  And, finally, it will end with a discussion of the ethical issues involved with Data Centers and how they might involve the load estimates.