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The second day of Malaysia “Data Centres towards Net Zero” conference focused on cross-border power, green energy certificates and Scope 3 emissions. (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
As demand for AI-powered infrastructure surges across Southeast Asia, Malaysia is fast becoming a critical hub for data centers. But with the sector’s soaring electricity and water consumption, the country now faces a pressing question: how to strike a balance between economic growth and sustainability?
At the “Data Centres toward Net Zero” conference, held on Sept. 23 to 24 and co-organized by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MEDC), government officials and industry leaders gathered to explore solutions. RECCESSARY was the only Taiwanese media invited as a partner, offering exclusive coverage and insights from the ground.
Facing RE100 and 24/7 carbon-free energy commitments, major data center operators are spurring demand for power purchase agreements (PPAs), renewable energy certificates (RECs) and cross-border electricity trading. Experts at the conference said that if governments harness this momentum, data centers could become a powerful catalyst for investment in renewable energy and storage technologies.
AI boom widens energy gap, cross-border power key to net zero
Beni Suryadi, senior manager at the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), noted that while AI applications are expanding rapidly, building a data center takes about 18 to 24 months, and constructing a power plant can take three to six years or even longer. To keep up with accelerating digital growth, he said, data centers will need faster, cleaner and more flexible energy solutions.
