Outlook 2022: Using data to match excess energy with demand

Technology may help bridge the gap between energy waste and rising demand

At first glance, the issues of climate change and the transition to a zero-carbon economy, and those of wasted excess energy and meeting growing power demand—especially for high-performance computing and datacentre services—may seem at odds with one another. Much of the focus today is rightly on mitigating the worst effects of climate change and the transition away from fossil fuels to low-carbon and sustainable alternatives. This approach, however, risks overlooking some crucial issues, such as ensuring a just transition for countries in the developing world—the socioeconomic development of which has been predicated upon revenues derived from extractive industries—and how to bridge the gap