A third of Southeast Asia’s data centres could run on renewable energy by 2030 without needing battery storage, according to a new study from energy think tank Ember.
As demand for data grows with rising video streaming, e-commerce and AI use, data centres are projected to account for up to 30% of the region’s electricity use by the end of the decade.
Despite this, many still rely heavily on fossil fuels.
Th research found that national grids in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have enough wind and solar capacity in key locations to meet at least 30% of data centre electricity demand.
In particular, Singapore and Malaysia were highlighted for strong solar potential – 2GW and 14GW respectively.
Lead author Shabrina Nadhila noted, “It’s a strong start, but not the full solution. The AI boom will drive demand even higher, so battery storage and energy efficiency must follow.”
The report recommends scaling power purchase agreements (PPAs) and renewable energy certificates (RECs) to draw private investment into solar, wind and grid upgrades.
While Malaysia and Thailand are currently the biggest REC issuers, Singapore is catching up.
Major tech firms like Amazon, Meta and Google have made global renewable pledges – but Southeast Asian progress has been slow.
For example, Google’s carbon-free energy use in Indonesia and Singapore remains at just 13% and 4% respectively.
The report concludes that data centre developers must now match their climate commitments with action, helping to push Southeast Asia toward a cleaner, more sustainable digital future.
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