Data centers and offshore wind farms could prove to be a perfect pair as AI grows increasingly energy-hungry. Many of the companies racing to roll out new generative AI tools have also made big commitments to rein in their greenhouse gas emissions. A rush of new AI data centers could throw those climate goals off — unless they find a clean source of energy. Conveniently, some of the quirks with AI data centers make them a good match for wind farms at sea.
Microsoft launched research project exploring the feasibility of subsea data centers powered by offshore wind farms called Project Natick. On land, data centers have provoked concerns about how much electricity and water they use for cooling systems. Storing servers on the seafloor could be a more sustainable way to keep them cool. Keeping servers underwater might also prevent corrosion from oxygen and humidity.