Norway's SV demands mandatory heat recovery for data centers

Lars Haltbrekken of the Socialist Left Party (SV) is calling for mandatory requirements for data centers to utilize surplus heat. He argues that failing to capture this heat constitutes a massive waste of energy, describing the current practice of venting heat into the air as akin to using a hair dryer where the heat simply escapes.

Currently, Norway has 113 registered data centers. While recent changes to the Energy Act require new or upgraded facilities to conduct cost-benefit analyses regarding heat utilization, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy maintains that mandatory requirements should only apply if it is economically profitable. SV is also advocating for a national licensing system to regulate the establishment of new data centers and maintain control over power consumption.