The share of data centers in overall power consumption surged to a record 9.3% in the second week of August, compared with an average of 7% this year, Energy Commission CEO Siti Safinah Salleh said.
"With the hotter weather, the cooling system requires a lot more energy," she said.
Data centers could account for as much as 31% of peninsular Malaysia's power demand by 2035, said Zaharin Zulkifli, deputy director for economic statistics and research at the Energy Commission.
A view of Kuala Lumpur's skyline, in Malaysia, July 31, 2025. Photo by Reuters
As Malaysia, the region's fastest-growing data center hub, gradually phases out coal-fired power, the nation of about 35 million people will have to augment its gas-fired capacity by 9 GW by 2032, economy minister Akmal Nasir said.
