How much heat does an AI data centre produce, and where are they located?

A Cambridge-led study found that AI data centres raise land surface temperatures by an average of 2°C, with some areas seeing increases up to 9°C. According to the IEA, these facilities consumed 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, about 1.5% of global supply, projected to nearly double to 945 TWh by 2030. Hyperscalers like Google, Amazon and Microsoft create a 'data heat island effect'. Hyperscale data centres require between 100 and 300 megawatts to operate.