Microsoft's $1 billion Kenya AI data center could require switching off "half the country"
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A hot potato: Microsoft and Abu Dhabi-based AI company G42's plan to build a $1 billion data center in Kenya sounded like a good idea for the African nation. It would bring foreign investment, a new Azure cloud region, and a facility powered by geothermal energy, but there's a problem. According to Kenyan officials, the project would require a massive amount of electricity in a country where the grid is nowhere near ready for AI-era demands.
The project was announced in May 2024 during Kenyan President William Ruto's state visit to Washington. G42was expected to lead construction of the Olkaria facility in Kenya's Rift Valley, with Microsoft using it to launch a new East Africa cloud region for Azure. The first phase was supposed to offer 100MW of capacity, with the longer-term...
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