TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Economic Affairs said Wednesday it will tighten reviews of data centers of 5 megawatts and above as AI demand strains the electricity grid.
The ministry proposed amendments to the Regulations for Energy Development and Use Assessment, requiring projects to outline power allocation and expected economic contributions, per UDN. High-consumption facilities will need to explain how to optimize power use to maximize output.
Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said 5MW data centers must prove economically beneficial and create no power bottlenecks. He said the revision is asking for more thorough evaluations.
Applicants must address five factors: investment and added value, job creation, supply chain benefits, AI ecosystem enablement, information security, and resilience, according to the MOEA press release. Some applicants, before the revision, have built facilities at 5MW or greater.
The ministry noted that revisions require the best available technologies for new or expanded data centers at and above 5MW. The aim is to improve energy efficiency from the get-go.
After the amendment, projects must first secure power from either Taipower or be self-generated. They must pass the local government or park authority's regional investment evaluation before a final cross-agency review, per the Economic Daily News.
AI computing requires massive amounts of power. The revisions are the result of public concern over heavy electricity use and energy-output balance.
