Prioritizing energy intelligence for sustainable growth

The escalating energy demands of AI and data centers are driving a critical need for "energy intelligence" among businesses, according to a recent MIT Technology Review Insights survey of 300 executives. Data centers, exemplified by Loudoun County, Virginia, are projected to consume up to 12% of national electricity by 2028, with 68% of surveyed executives reporting over 10% energy cost increases in the past year due to AI workloads. Rising costs are identified as the primary energy-related threat to AI innovation, prompting 74% of leaders to optimize infrastructure and 69% to partner with energy-efficient providers. Companies are now prioritizing the ability to measure and strategically manage power consumption, though many still lack the granular data for effective optimization, particularly with third-party cloud services. This shift underscores a growing imperative for organizations to understand and control energy usage to sustain growth and manage financial and reputational risks.