Green Cloud Computing: A Technical and Policy Framework for the AI Era

The global adoption of artificial intelligence is causing an unsustainable increase in the energy consumption of data centers, threatening to reverse a decade of efficiency gains. While legacy green computing strategies held power consumption steady through the 2010s, the unique, high-intensity nature of Al workloads renders these measures insufficient. Projections now indicate that data center electricity demand could triple by 2030, consuming a significant share of global electricity. This paper provides a framework for this challenge by reassessing legacy measures and examining four critical domains: advanced thermal management, security and data sovereignty, AI as a tool for energy optimization, and the economic and policy landscape. The analysis concludes that the exponential scaling of AI, which pushes server rack power densities from 15 kW to over 100 kW, requires a paradigm shift toward new infrastructure like liquid cooling and on-site clean power. Actionable recommendations are provided for industry and policymakers to ensure the AI revolution can proceed sustainably.