Energy Consumption Projections of AI Park at one-north and Energy Efficiency Measures

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what is the projected annual electricity and water consumption at full capacity for the new artificial intelligence (AI) park at one-north; (b) how will the Ministry measure software-level energy efficiency for firms under the national AI Missions; and (c) whether the Government will mandate energy-intensity disclosures for large-scale AI models to mitigate any rebound effect on national energy demand.

The planned Artificial Intelligence (AI) park at one-north is not a data centre (DC) park. It is designed to be a hub for a growing community of AI developers and solution providers. We therefore expect its annual electricity and water consumption to be comparable to other technology-intensive industrial estates, such as the Punggol Digital District.

Singapore is committed to advancing our AI capabilities in a sustainable manner. Under the National AI Research and Development plan, we have identified resource-efficient AI as a research priority. This, along with close monitoring of practices elsewhere, will help us consider appropriate policy measures.

For example, green or energy-efficient AI software is a still a nascent field and there is no internationally recognised standard today. Nonetheless, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is working closely with the Green Software Foundation on the methodology for the new Software Carbon Intensity International Organization for Standardization standard, which provides an indication of energy usage for general software applications. In the meantime, IMDA promotes the efficient use of computing resources through initiatives, such as the Green Software Trials and the recently launched Practical Green Software Guide for Enterprises, which provides actionable steps for businesses to reduce their software carbon footprint.

We have also taken steps to improve the sustainability of our DCs through IMDA's Green DC roadmap. The Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation will introduce baseline energy efficiency standards for DCs through the Digital Infrastructure Act, which we are developing in consultation with the industry.