Why does World Bank Group President Ajay Banga believe data centers are unlikely to expand significantly into emerging markets, given their immense needs for reliable electricity, computing capacity, freely flowing data, skilled workers, and investment capital; how is AI driven g

Ajay Banga’s point is that an AI data center needs more than a building: it needs dependable, abundant power alongside computing equipment, data access, skilled workers and capital. Where electricity is scarce and development needs are pressing, he sees little prospect of data centers expanding at scale—or a strong case for giving them priority over other uses of power. 1

• Demand: The IEA projects electricity use by all data centers—not just AI facilities—to rise from about 485 TWh in 2025 to roughly 950 TWh in 2030, or around 3% of global electricity demand. AI is a major driver of that increase. 1314
• Concentration: The United States, China and Europe already dominate data-center electricity use; the IEA put their combined share at 85% in 2024. That is evidence of concentration, though not a guarantee that every new facility through 2030 will be built there. 16
• Development and climate stakes: If computing investment follows existing power grids, skills and capital, developing countries risk having less capacity to build and benefit from AI. The UN has identified substantial geographic gaps in AI-capacity financing. 17 Climate Week’s own agenda frames the energy trade-off directly: expanding data centers compete with industry, transport and cities for clean, affordable electricity. The debate is therefore not just how to power AI sustainably, but whose electricity and development needs come first. 12