News
Making data centers more sustainable.
Norway’s ambition to be a global digital infrastructure hub has led to a surge in energy demand, supercharged by AI’s rapid growth — raising critical questions about the benefits and challenges of digitalization.
Backed by the Research Council of Norway, the Limits to Digitalization (L2D) project looks at data center sustainability in the country’s clean energy transition to identify the socio-environmental impacts of digital transformation. It’s a $1.1 million international research collaboration between NTNU Social Research and Boston University. Leading BU’s efforts are Ayse Coskun, Director of the BU Center for Information & Systems Engineering and part of IGS’s core faculty, and Benjamin Sovacool, Director of IGS.
Research Approach and Goals
The study sets out to investigate the whole-systems justice issues around data center development, examine the use of data centers as resources in diverse energy markets, and design optimization models to improve data center efficiency.
It will create a conceptual framework for digitalization that aims to:
- Examine the social and distributional impacts of energy transition policies through a whole-systems justice lens, focusing on who benefits.
- Promote an equitable and urgent transition with bold civic action and policy initiatives.
- Create innovative tools for energy and data center governance to support decision-makers in Norway’s energy sector.
Research Progress
Journal Articles
Data centers could consume 9% of global electricity demand by 2030. In this iScience Perspective, L2D researchers outline a 10-year roadmap to steer academia, industry, and policymakers toward a more transparent and sustainable AI ecosystem. They explore how greater clarity and openness would benefit center stakeholders (including researchers, operators, and users), and global energy, climate, and sustainability goals at large.
BU Project Leaders
-
Ayse Coskun
Core Faculty, IGS;
Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Interim Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Development, College of Engineering; Director, Center for Information and Systems Engineering -
Benjamin Sovacool
Director, IGS;
Professor, Earth & Environment, College of Arts & Sciences
