資料中心的可持續性挑戰與管制重塑
資料中心在能源消耗、水利使用和碳排放方面發揮著重要作用，造成了由資料的指數級增長引起的可持續性問題。隨著對加速數位轉型的需求增加，資料收集、儲存、雲端計算和人工智慧（AI）部署的環境影響也成為一個關切點。然而在不同的司法管轄區中存在不同的規則，這對這個行業的未來意味著什麼？在最近的一次討論中，資料中心專家約翰·布斯（John Booth），也是諮詢公司 Carbon3IT 的董事總經理，就新興的管制提供了見解以及它們可能如何重塑工作量的位置。
歐洲引領風騷
歐洲長期以來一直在為減少能源使用和排放作出努力。為了實現這個目標，歐盟（EU）於 2023 年夏天透過了一項更新的能源效率指令（EED）。根據這項重構指令，歐盟內的資料中心（安裝的 IT 功率超過 100 千瓦）將需要公開報告能源效能。布斯指出，歐盟已經實施了一個自願的資料中心效能行為守則已經有超過 14 年的歷史，但參與度一直很低。到當前為止，只有約 550 個設施代表約 140 個組織參與其中。“問題的一部分是缺乏監管和真正的執行力，”布斯說。
跨國界的管制傳播
布斯認為，隨著對人工智慧能源需求的關注不斷增加，管制不可避免地將成為全球性的。美國已經採取了初步的措施。幾個美國州也正在實施更嚴格的管制。在弗吉尼亞州，即將實施的法律聚焦於透過更嚴格的要求實現碳減排和可持續性。同樣，俄勒岡州提議在 2027 年將資料中心和加密貨幣挖掘產業的碳排放降低 60％，對不符合要求的資料中心和挖礦場所處以罰款。白宮科學和技術政策辦公室於 2022 年發布的一份關於加密貨幣能源影響的報告指出，其能源消耗與傳統資料中心相當。這引發了是否也要對傳統託管設施進行監管的問題。作為回應，參議員雪鄧·懷特豪斯提出了制定向歐盟指令建模的旨在解決加密貨幣和傳統資料中心問題的草案立法。2016 年，美國國家洛倫斯伯克利實驗室受美國參議院委託，透過與利益相關者進行諮詢來研究美國資料中心的能源使用。在諮詢過程中，布斯建議伯克利採用已經在最初的歐盟指令中確立的衡量標準。由於大部分資料中心位於歐洲和北美地區，兩個地區之間的一致管制可以幫助建立全球一致的可持續發展標準。這將防止工作量在無管制的司法管轄區之間轉移，引發監管標準的競爭。
對資料中心位置的影響
美國不同州和當地的規章法則為資料中心在享受稅收激勵和寬鬆監管的地區定位提供了更大的靈活性，至少當前是這樣。但長遠來說管制可能會重塑設施的場所決策。布斯指出，設施已經傾向於選擇像亞利桑那這樣的地區，以獲取短期利益，例如稅收補貼。然而“老實說，我個人無法理解為什麼你想把資料中心放在亞利桑那，我無法理解你會這樣思考的原因。”這個炎熱乾旱的氣候從效率和用水角度來看並不適合。隨著管制愈發嚴格，像西班牙這樣的地方，作為水資源緊缺的國家也面臨挑戰。布斯預計，歐盟將正式指定批準的“資料中心區域”，以確保可獲得可再生能源，並且不會對水資源或電網造成壓力。前瞻性思維的公司不僅僅把管制看作壓力，還把它們視為創新的驅動力。那些積極降低排放並投資於更適合的地理位置的公司將在後來的採納者之前獲得先發優勢。正如布斯所指出的，“如果我是筆者，我會在加拿大購買土地，我會在冰島和北歐購買土地”，因為這些地區的管制將有助於長期可持續發展和資料中心位置的機會。提前實施最佳實踐也可能會影響制定政策的人，因為全球各地的規章法則在不斷完善。
標準將推動這個行業
雖然聯邦法律可能還需要幾年才能出臺，但積極做好準備至關重要。資料中心專家建議制定報告合規策略，收集必要的運營資料，並提高工作量的效能。此外與行業團體的互動並制定標準化的指標將為未來的管制過渡鋪平道路。對資料中心能源使用和排放的管制聚焦表明，企業領導者需要密切關注政策發展。戰略性地最佳化基礎架構並與專家合作確保持續性。隨著數位經濟在資料中心上的依賴不斷擴大，平衡效率、透明度和業務目標變得更加重要。
原文：VentureBeat presents AI Unleashed - An exclusive executive event for enterprise data leaders. Network and learn with industry peers. Learn More Data centers play a significant role in energy consumption, water use and carbon emissions, contributing to the sustainability problem caused by the exponential growth of data. As the demand for accelerated digital transformation increases, the environmental impact of data collection, storage, cloud compute, and artificial intelligence (AI) deployment becomes a concern. However, with different rules in various jurisdictions, what does this mean for the future of the industry? In a recent discussion, data center expert John Booth, managing director of consultancy Carbon3IT, provided insights on emerging regulations and how they may reshape where workloads are located. Europe Leads the Way Europe has long been at the forefront of efforts to reduce energy use and emissions. To accomplish this, the European Union (E.U.) passed an updated Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) in the summer of 2023. Under the recast directive, data centers in the E.U. with installed IT power of more than 100 kilowatts will need to publicly report energy performance. Booth notes the E.U. had implemented a voluntary Code of Conduct for data center efficiency for more than 14 years, but uptake remained low. Only around 550 facilities representing an estimated 140 organizations have participated to date. “Part of the problem was lack of oversight and no real enforcement,” said Booth. Seeing this as a market failure, the E.U. passed the EED to mandate reporting of energy consumption from large data centers. Facilities must provide metrics like total energy use, renewable energy percentage, water consumption and waste heat reuse to a central registry. “Part of the overall registration piece will not just be the metrics that are required, but also some information on how you’re actually doing your energy efficiency and energy optimization projects,” says Booth. This will give regulators visibility into current performance and opportunities for improvement. Once baseline data is collected, Booth expects the E.U. will then incentivize further reductions through subsidies or penalties. Data centers with a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) over 1.5, for example, may face fines until that metric is lowered. Others may receive funds to install more efficient equipment. Regulations Spread Across Borders Booth believes regulations will inevitably become global as concerns over AI’s energy demands grow. The U.S. has taken initial steps. Several U.S. states are also implementing stricter regulations. In Virginia, pending laws focus on carbon reduction and sustainability through more stringent requirements. Similarly, Oregon has proposed reducing carbon emissions 60% by 2027 for data centers and cryptocurrency mining, imposing fines for noncompliance. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy published a report in 2022 on the energy impacts of cryptocurrency that found consumption comparable to conventional data centers. This raises the question of also regulating traditional colocation facilities. In response, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has proposed draft legislation addressing both crypto and conventional data centers modeled after the EU directive. In 2016 Lawrence Berkeley National Lab was tasked by the U.S. Senate to study American data center energy use through consultations with stakeholders. Rather than reinventing the wheel, during the consults Booth advised Berkeley to adopt the metrics already established in the original EU Directive. With the bulk of data centers located in Europe and North America, aligned regulations between the two regions could help establish consistent sustainability standards worldwide. This would prevent a regulatory race to the bottom as workloads shift between unregulated jurisdictions. China is also tightening regulations, with strict design PUE limits that must be met to obtain operating permits. As the two largest markets, the E.U. and China are demonstrating regulations can drive sustainability where voluntary programs have fallen short. Impact on Data Center Siting Differing state and local rules in the U.S. have allowed data centers more flexibility to locate in areas with tax incentives and lax oversight, at least for now. But long term, regulations may reshape site decisions. Booth notes facilities have gravitated to places like Arizona for short-term benefits like subsidies. However, “I can’t personally believe why you’d want to put a data center in Arizona, to be honest, I just can’t see why you’d think that way.” The hot, dry climate is poorly suited from an efficiency and water usage perspective. As regulations tighten, locations like Spain also face challenges as water-stressed countries. Booth expects the E.U. will formally designate approved “data center zones” with guaranteed access to renewable energy and without causing water or grid stress. Rather than viewing regulations solely as constraints, forward-thinking companies see them as drivers of innovation. The groups that proactively reduce emissions and invest in more suitable geographic locations will gain a first-mover advantage over late adopters. As Booth notes, “If I was a betting man, I’ll be buying land in Canada. I’ll be buying land in Iceland. And the Nordics” for the long-term sustainability and data center location opportunity regulations will foster in those regions. Early implementation of best practices could also influence policymakers as rules continue taking shape globally. Sustainability will increasingly factor into both public policy and client/investor decisions, shifting the data center landscape in unprecedented ways. Standards will drive the industry While federal laws may be years away, proactive preparation is key. Data center experts recommend creating a reporting compliance strategy, collecting necessary operational data and increasing workload efficiency. Additionally, engaging with industry groups and developing standardized metrics will smooth future regulatory transitions. Growing regulatory focus on data center energy use and emissions signals the need for enterprise leaders to carefully track policy developments. Strategically optimizing infrastructure and partnering with experts ensures ongoing compliance and competitive advantage amid this transition. As the digital economy expands reliance on data centers, balancing efficiency, transparency and business objectives becomes ever more important. (資料來源：VentureBeat)
