Cloud Infrastructure and Energy Consumption

Microsoft Office 365, which is widely used in classes I support this year, relies on cloud data centres that store students' work. Recently, I heard an opinion from a colleague expressing that digital tools are environmentally friendly. However, when I really thought about it, I was skeptical. In fact, according to the International Energy Agency, data centres and their infrastructures produced around 330 megatons of CO2 in 2020, equivalent to around 1% of energy-related greenhouse gases created due to fossil fuels (Lorinc, 2024). Furthermore, Mills (2020) states that “edge data centers are now forecast to add 100,000 MW of power demand a decade if out” and that’s more than a state like California can even produce in the US. Unlike paper or locally stored files, cloud-based tools require constant connectivity and sync to the cloud to function, increasing the consumption and need for energy. Given that AI and cloud computing are energy-intensive, some AI applications can use more compute energy than 10,000 cars in a day (Mills, 2020). Such digital tools cannot be considered environmentally friendly or insignificant. As cloud-based storage services expand, their energy footprint will continually grow, raising questions about sustainability in education along with the Gates Foundation involvement in this.