Two data center trends are on a collision course: the scramble to find more power capacity to run AI and HPC applications versus the urge to be a responsible global citizen by operating sustainably. Data Center World 2025 has an entire track devoted to this area to share best practices and find solutions.
The Power Sourcing & Sustainability track examines a broad area. It encompasses the problems data centers have in finding enough power to run the latest applications as well as ongoing initiatives in sustainability such as water reduction, power efficiency, and the lowering of the carbon footprint.
According to research firm Omdia, the installed power capacity of data centers needs to reach 170 GW by 2030. About 50% of this will be for AI data centers, up from around 15% in 2023.
“As more power is dedicated to AI, the share of worldwide electricity in the data center is rising sharply,” said Vladimir Galabov, Research Director of Cloud and Data Center at Omdia. “New data centers are optimizing their physical infrastructure for AI.”
How will the US Government address this challenge? You’ll hear directly from the Department of Energy Leaders in a variety of sessions at the event.
Powering Data Centers with the Department of Energy: Tools and Resources in Practice led by senior members of the United States Department of Energy will present government programs for data center development. This session will showcase real-world case studies demonstrating how the DOE financing has driven energy innovation and efficiency in data center projects.
As the energy landscape shifts, advanced nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, are gaining traction as a sustainable and reliable power solution for data centers. To understand this brave new world we have a three hour workshop on Monday, April 14th entitled, Nuclear Technologies for Tomorrow's Data Centers. This half day interactive program delves into the practicalities of nuclear systems in tomorrow’s data centers, focusing on site selection, permitting, and deployment strategies.
According to the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) of the US Department of Energy, cooling accounts for up to 40% of overall data center energy usage and consumes hundreds of billions of gallons of fresh water per year. A Virginia Tech study placed data centers in the top 10 among water-consuming commercial industries. American data centers consume the equivalent amount of water as almost half a billion showers per day (based on 17 billion liters per day and the average shower being 17 gallons).
Jill Wyant, President and Chief Executive Officer of Madison Air, will address this important topic at Data Center World 2025 in a session entitled, “Balancing the Water-Energy Nexus: Sustainable Data Centers in the Era of AI.”
“With the meteoric rise of AI, we’ll address factors like equipment availability and supply chain health, as well as constraints posed by natural resources such as power and water,” said Wyant. “The session will delve into the management and optimization of data center growth amidst resource constraints, examining the industry and supply chain as a whole.”
Just as water scarcity is a significant challenge, so too is power – both obtaining enough and managing it efficiently. The powerhouse packed panel, Alternative Energy Sources: Nuclear, Geothermal, Hydrogen, Oceanic and More will feature a gathering of CEOs, Romi Mahajan of ExoFusion, Doug Bernauer from Radiant, Dan Crosby from Legend Energy Advisors and Brian Smith Director of Nuclear Reactor Development at Idaho National Laboratory to discuss how alternative energy sources—geothermal, hydrogen, thermal, oceanic, nuclear, and solar—can revolutionize power generation for data centers, reduce environmental impact, and ensure energy resilience with cutting edge technologies. Attendees will gain insights into real-world use cases, ROI considerations, and the critical role alternative energy plays in reducing reliance on traditional power grids.
All of these sustainability and supply chain constraints are happening at a time when AI is bringing change to every aspect of the data center. Developers are scrambling to find resources that are not only available, but efficient. Wes Cummins, Chairman and CEO, of Applied Digital will cover this subject in a session entitled, New Horizons for Efficient Power Fit for AI Factories. He believes that sourcing ample, available, and advantageous power means changing the existing infrastructure deployment philosophy and developing better facilities from the ground up. AI epicenters, he says, are destined to reside where the power is, which means there are significant benefits waiting for organizations that are ready to be more creative and venture farther afield.
These are just a few of the many vital sessions that comprise our Power Sourcing & Sustainability track at Data Center World 2025.