White Paper on Global Data Centers Siting Policy and Practice

The rapid expansion of data centers—particularly those designed to support AI and cloud computing—has positioned them as critical infrastructure in the global digital economy. This white paper provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving data center landscape, focusing on AI-centric design, energy sourcing strategies, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure planning. Drawing on global case studies of hyperscale operators such as Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and GDS, we examine emerging best practices in sustainable design, long-term energy procurement, and strategic site selection. Special attention is given to the increasing role of nuclear energy in powering AI workloads, as well as the policy shifts enabling its adoption. We also explore the geopolitics of AI infrastructure—framing computing power as the “new oil”—and the implications for national development strategies, clean energy investments, and semiconductor supply chains. Finally, the paper presents a comparative analysis of data center regulations across key global markets, including subnational differences within the U.S., to inform decision-making for developers, investors, and policymakers seeking to enable climate-resilient, future-ready digital infrastructure.