The development of artificial intelligence depends not only on computing power but also on energy supply. Therefore, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, together with industry companies, is now effectively rebuilding the power supply map for future data centers (DCs), developing criteria for selecting sites for them and assessing options for grid connection. A register of power centers with available capacity and a map of accessible generation through 2031 have been compiled. Data centers for AI tasks require 50–150 kW per rack, and in the future up to 300 kW, whereas traditional data centers consume 7–15 kW. According to estimates by the Ministry of Digital Development and the Analytical Center under the Government, by 2030 the power consumption of Russian data centers will grow at least 2.5 times, from 1 GW to 2.5 GW. This was reported by the Ministry of Energy following a series of meetings of the working group on power supply for data centers for AI development chaired by Deputy Minister Petr Konyushenko. In the regions, members of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia are already starting to work within this logic. Thus, in Yakutia, the head of the region Aisen Nikolaev announced the development of data center infrastructure with a capacity of up to 2 GW. Yakut Fuel and Energy Company has revised its strategy and has focused on using gas for energy intensive industries. Construction of 200 MW of generation has already begun. In parallel, the use of hydropower is being considered: only 1.5% of the hydropower potential of the Far East has been developed so far, while it accounts for about 60% of Russia’s total. Work on the 1 GW Kankunskaya HPP project may lay the foundation for hosting large data centers. In Novosibirsk Region, in the Industrial and Logistics Park, Alfa Finance is building the “Sibir” data center for 1.8 thousand racks. Investment amounts to 1.8 billion rubles. Commissioning is scheduled for March, with full launch planned for July 2026. In the Republic of Tatarstan, Rosatom’s data center in Innopolis is already in operation, confirming the region’s readiness to host high load computing clusters for AI tasks. In effect, a new model for placing data centers is taking shape — closer to power generation sources. This approach makes it possible to reduce the load on power deficit megacities while simultaneously creating new growth points in resource rich regions.
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