The Data Center Observatory
Building a Global Resource for Policymakers and Communities
Background
Data centers are a crucial infrastructure supporting the digital transformation. In recent years, their growth has expanded significantly, with almost 12,000 units currently in operation worldwide. Their social, political, environmental, and economic impacts at local, national, and global levels are only beginning to be documented, and already raise relevant concerns across academia and public debates. Meanwhile, governance and regulatory frameworks remain fragmented or plainly outpaced.
Motivation
Estimates by the Bundesnetzagentur indicate that data centers already account for around 4 percent of total electricity use and demand could rise to 10 percent by 2037. In Ireland, data centers already use over 20 percent of metered electricity. A recent (October 2025) survey by AlgorithmWatch indicated that a majority of those surveyed in Germany are concerned about impacts of data centers on energy/water availability and costs and support greater transparency and oversight. Many communities worldwide are using whatever legal tools they might have at their disposal to stop or slow down data center construction but efforts are fragmented, episodic, and poorly coordinated, slowing down learning and the transfer of best practices. Legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure greater data center sustainability are urgently needed.
Objectives
This short project shall contribute towards the consolidation of knowledge on data centers by focusing on comprehensible and effective governance interventions, and thus design of our digital future. This short project aims at (1) advancing scientific and societal understanding of a rapidly expanding yet under-examined form of critical digital infrastructure. We furthermore aim (2) to initiate an interdisciplinary research network, yielding in the Data Center Observatory initiative. In addition, we aim (3) to prepare a grant application for funding to establish the Data Center Observatory initiative. Lastly, we aim (4) to disseminate relevant knowledge by presenting the project’s preliminary results in a workshop with academic and civil society partners.
