India's Power Ministry raises 2031-32 data-center forecast to 26.3 GW
India
India's Ministry of Power has nearly doubled its estimate of additional data-center load by 2031-32, now expecting demand to hit 26.3 GW, thanks to cloud computing, digital services, and increasingly artificial intelligence.
This surge could push the country's overall peak electricity needs past 388 GW, and there are already requests for 17 GW of new connections from data center operators.
Experts urge data-centers link with renewables
Experts say it's time to link these power-hungry data centers with renewable energy, and suggest states make it easier for companies to buy green power.
NASSCOM is also calling for better mapping of resources like land, water, and electricity at local levels so India can keep up with digital growth without running into infrastructure headaches.