Brazil electricity demand rises due to AI data centers

The expansion of artificial intelligence data centers is significantly driving electricity demand in Brazil. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, requests for system access related to these projects total 38 GW. To manage these growing loads, the Energy Research Company has begun collecting specific data to assess impacts on power generation and transmission over the next decade.

This surge is also transforming cooling technologies. Bank of America projects that liquid cooling will be used in 70% of new AI installations by 2030, up from approximately 30% today. Globally, McKinsey estimates that investments for data center infrastructure, including servers and electrical systems, could reach nearly US$ 7 trillion by 2030.

Parallel to the industrial demand, Brazil's energy landscape is seeing innovation through energytech startups. Companies like Revolusolar and Lemon Energia are addressing energy inclusion and distributed generation. While large-scale infrastructure prepares for massive AI loads, these startups are utilizing subscription models and shared generation to provide tariff stability and reduce CO2 emissions.