Japan estimates it may need to generate 50 percent more electricity by 2050 due to growing local demand from chip manufacturing and data centers running AI. The move follows a warning from DigitalBridge that it could end within two years.
Japan's pursuit of the most powerful microchip is leading to the revival of semiconductor products
The growing burden that high-tech industry places on power grids has caused concern in various countries. The latest is Japan, where the government estimates that energy production will need to grow from 1 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) estimated for the current decade to around 1.35-1.5 trillion kWh by 2050.
This expansion of production capacity will be needed to meet the demand Tokyo expects as more data centers, chip factories and other energy-intensive businesses come online, according to Reuters.
Unless Japan can increase its production of renewable energy, the government may not be able to guarantee a stable energy supply, it said. The findings were published in a report that will inform Tokyo's strategy on carbon dioxide emissions and industrial policy for 2040, which it said it aims to complete by next year.
