Overview
- Investment intentions remain large with hyperscalers and investors planning gigawatts of new capacity, but many projects are stalling because grids, water supplies, fibre and permits cannot be delivered on schedule.
- A United Nations study projects data centres could consume about 945 TWh of electricity and double their water and land footprints by 2030, creating trade‑offs between lower carbon choices and higher water or land use.
- The Knight Frank India report published June 20 showed India’s development pipeline has surged to about 8.33 GW, more than five times its current live capacity and concentrated in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.
- Local backlash and policy moves are accelerating in the United States and elsewhere, with city bans, one‑year moratorium votes and state proposals targeting large ‘hyperscale’ facilities over water, noise and energy impacts.
- Industry responses include grid‑to‑chip power designs, higher‑voltage distribution, embedded ML for energy orchestration, modular prefabrication and on‑site generation to cut losses and speed phased deployments, though these do not remove political and permitting barriers.