Desert Power for the AI Era

The surge in generative artificial intelligence (AI) may cause growing conflicts between securing electricity supplies and achieving sustainable development goals. Here, we propose off-grid hybrid wind-solar-storage (WSS) systems, which leverage the immense renewable resources in desert areas alongside relatively low-cost fiber-optic connectivity of data centers, to address this challenge. Using a global high-resolution techno-economic optimization model, we demonstrate that well-planned WSS systems can deliver cost-effective 24/7 uninterrupted power for AI operations, despite requiring additional investment in non-IT equipment and electricity for cooling. This untapped energy supply is capable of delivering 1 PWh globally in 2030 at levelized costs of around $35/MWh, meeting the forecasted electricity demand for AI by the International Energy Agency. Even if AI electricity demand increases 10-fold, reaching 10 PWh by 2030, the unit cost increment would be less than 10%. Further uncertainty analysis shows that under extreme investment (3.0×) and cooling (2.0×) cost assumptions for data centers operating with the desert WSS systems, this 10 PWh/yr demand could still be satisfied at competitive cost levels. As a solution that can simultaneously achieve decarbonization and ecological restoration, the WSS systems could align computational and clean energy infrastructure in the AI era.