July 25, 2025|
AI
|4 months agoSwitzerland's Data Center Boom Raises Energy Concerns
Data centers could consume up to 15% of Switzerland's electricity by 2030, as AI drives expansion in places like Dielsdorf, raising questions about sustainability and resource use.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- Data centers could consume up to 15% of Switzerland's total electricity by 2030.
- In Dielsdorf, farmland has shrunk by nearly 20% in the last 40 years, recently accelerated by data center construction.
- Green.ch is constructing three high-performance data centers in Dielsdorf.
- Microsoft plans to invest $400 million (CHF 320 million) in Swiss data centers.
By The Numbers
35 megawatts
Total capacity
7x
Electricity consumption multiplier
1/10th
Consumption comparison
2.1 terawatt-hours
Annual consumption (2019)
They Said
"If the country’s total consumption remains as it is, this could rise to as much as 15% by 2030 – more than the entire canton of Zurich consumed in 2023."
"Fields once used to grow crops are now home to giant servers powering the data economy."