Energy, Water, and Heat in the AI Economy

The project (1) stress tests existing energy and water usage frameworks using the latest engineering insights into chips, cooling technologies, and related innovations to ensure that theoretical limits and best-in-class practices are reflected; (2) develops an appropriately weighted composite sustainability index for energy and water based on the tradeoffs between the two; and (3) assesses how these disclosures are used in capital markets and asset pricing, including the level of scrutiny in green bond offerings and analyst attention in public equity markets. In addition, the project (4) evaluates heat export as a cross-cutting component of each objective, examining opportunities to utilize waste heat, the engineering implications for data center energy and water consumption, and approaches for incorporating heat into a composite sustainability index.

Ali Zaidi

Professor of Practice, Materials Science and Engineering

Ali Zaidi is a professor of practice in Penn Engineering. He is the former White House National Climate Advisor to President Joe Biden and a leading architect of the Administration’s climate, energy, and industrial policy agenda.

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