SHAH ALAM, Sept 12 — Data centre operators in Selangor should contribute fairly towards the infrastructure and resilience they rely on, while making serious moves to reduce, substitute and recycle treated water, said state executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
She said the rapid growth of the data centre industry must be accompanied by responsible water management to ensure the basic needs of residents and essential public services are not compromised.
“Selangor intends to remain a leading destination for the digital economy, but that growth must be high-quality, responsible and compatible with the carrying capacity of our natural and public infrastructure,” she told Media Selangor.
She was commenting on Energy Commission chief executive officer Siti Safinah Salleh’s September 8 remarks that data centres in the country are consuming more power as temperatures rise, leaving a 9GW gas-fired capacity gap for the government to fill by 2032.
Safinah said the share of data centres in overall power consumption surged to a record 9.3 per cent in the second week of August, compared with an average of 7 per cent this year.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, meanwhile, said the state takes public concerns over data centres seriously and would not approve any project if there is insufficient water and electricity supply.
He said the Selangor government is closely monitoring data centre projects in the state, particularly their water and electricity supply capacity.
Smarter water use needed
Jamaliah said while the data centre industry can generate economic benefits by attracting investment, creating skilled jobs, strengthening local supply chains, and accelerating innovation, water remains a critical issue.
She noted that data centres require water for cooling, while Selangor’s water system must also meet the needs of millions of residents, hospitals, schools, businesses and industries.
"The state must adopt a whole-water-cycle approach by considering water sources, treatment and transport, reuse, discharge quality, stormwater management, and the impact of water use on rivers, aquifers and ecosystems.
“Every litre saved by the industry is a litre of resilience returned to the state.”
She also called for water efficiency to be incorporated into data centre designs from the outset, including alternative water sources, dual-pipe networks, treatment facilities and storage capacity.
She highlighted the Smart Rainwater Harvesting and Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system as a potential approach to improve water efficiency and sustainability in data centre operations.
"Sustainability is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage as investors, data centre customers and communities place greater emphasis on environmental and climate risks.
“Selangor should not compete to be the least demanding location. We should aim to be the best prepared, the most transparent and the most innovative.”
She said she envisions Selangor as a benchmark for data centres that use less treated water, emit less carbon, remain resilient, and maintain public trust.
“We must cool the cloud without drying the ground. We must grow the digital economy without diminishing the rights of future generations,” Jamaliah said.
