Global electricity consumption by data centres is on track to double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency, with demand already rising 17 per cent between 2025 and 2026—four times the pace of overall global consumption. The immediate effect is a surge in corporate renewable energy procurement: data centres accounted for 40 per cent of all global renewable power purchase agreements signed in 2025, as operators seek reliable, clean power for critical loads that cannot tolerate interruptions.

Viewed from São Paulo, the mechanism is straightforward. Hyperscalers such as Meta and Amazon Web Services now run their facilities on 100 per cent renewable electricity, combining on-site solar generation with long-term PPAs from dedicated utility-scale plants. Meta has co-developed 530 MW of solar capacity across Singapore, Ireland and New Mexico, while AWS reports 337 rooftop photovoltaic installations on its data centres and 264 partner plants in its portfolio. The need for uninterrupted supply is also driving investment in battery storage, transmission quality and generation forecasting, as a Frost & Sullivan survey commissioned by Fluke found that 20 per cent of data-centre outages cause losses exceeding $1 million.

In Iran, the government is pursuing a different route to expand renewables, targeting 10,000 MW of small-scale and rooftop solar capacity. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organisation (SATBA) plans to install 5-kilowatt systems on 12,000 schools in a first phase, and sees potential for over 5,000 MW on industrial rooftops and agricultural connections. However, officials in Tehran warn that without reforming electricity pricing and moving the state utility away from direct power trading, the expansion could stall. A 500 MW project fund is set to open for public subscription soon, while 17 digital platforms have been launched to connect small producers to the green electricity board, though regulators acknowledge that traditional methods cannot deliver the 30,000 MW solar target.

Mexico, meanwhile, is positioning itself as a digital nearshoring hub for North America. The Mexican Data Centre Association estimates $82.5 billion in investment between 2026 and 2031, with 1,730 MW of new capacity announced. AWS launched its Mexico Central region in early 2025 with a $5 billion, 15-year commitment; Microsoft has pledged $1.3 billion over three years; and Google Cloud opened a region in Querétaro. Yet analysts in Mexico City note that more than 60 per cent of the transmission network in key industrial corridors already operates near maximum capacity, and reserve margins sit below regulatory stability thresholds, making energy availability the primary bottleneck.

The next factual milestones to watch are the launch of Iran’s 500 MW project fund subscription and the implementation of Mexico’s digital infrastructure roadmap, which must address permitting, transmission upgrades and water use for cooling. Globally, the IEA’s 2030 consumption forecast will be tested by whether the current pace of PPA contracting can be sustained as grid constraints tighten across both emerging and advanced economies.