The National Academy of Public Administration hosted a panel with the authors of a new white paper on data center sustainability policy, covering tools like PUE requirements and tax incentives.
By Margie Graves, Fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government
This June I was privileged to moderate an engaging discussion on “Towards Sustainable Data Centers: Evaluating Policies for Energy Efficiency and Environmental Responsibility,” a timely new white paper presented to the Standing Panel on Technology Leadership at the National Academy of Public Administration. As demand for digital services surges, data centers are becoming major drivers of energy consumption and carbon emissions—making sustainable solutions more urgent than ever.
We heard directly from authors Jiaru Bai, Mohammad Delasay, and Anshul Gandhi as they explored the complex policy landscape shaping the future of data center sustainability. The discussion highlighted key findings on the effectiveness of policy tools such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) requirements and tax incentives, and what they mean for balancing environmental goals with economic realities.
This event offered actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers seeking to reduce environmental impact while supporting innovation and growth in the digital economy.
The report, slides and meeting recording are available here: