Southeast Asia doesn't need fossil fuels to power its data center boom. Renewable energy will get the job done—and more cheaply too

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The server that powers your AI application has a good chance of being based in Southeast Asia. The rise of AI has led to a simultaneous boom in data centers in markets like Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Even if projections of massive growth in data centers end up being too bullish, AI isn’t going away. Over time, demand for energy from AI applications will only grow. The International Energy Agency already projects that India and Southeast Asia will have the biggest increase in energy demand through to 2035.