At COP31, JESSI Pushes Data Centers to Prove Local Fit
COP 31 Press Conferences • United NationsNovember 14, 2026
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Data center sustainability may be shifting from how efficient a facility is to whether it fits the community and grid around it. At a JESSI side press conference at COP31 on Nov. 14, 2026, the group released a Sustainable Data Center Blueprint with guides for policymakers and communities. Solar manufacturer Longi pitched its integrated solar-plus-storage system as a way to keep AI power clean around the clock.
- JESSI releases data center blueprint with policymaker and community guides, shifting focus to local fit
- Efficiency metrics like PUE are not enough, JESSI's data center lead argues, calling for measured demand and place-based limits
- GreenSpark announces Saudi pilot pairing high-performance computing with water desalination, with Sawako
- Longi pitches Longi ONE solar-plus-storage for AI data centers, citing 13 GWh shipped and plans to scale beyond 100 GWh by 2028
JESSI Blueprint Moves the Test to Local Fit
The basics: PUE, or power usage effectiveness, is the industry's standard efficiency metric. It compares a data center's total energy use with the energy its computing equipment consumes. It measures what happens inside the facility, not the strain the facility places on local grids or water supplies.
Why it matters: Securing a permit no longer guarantees a data center gets built. Local resource limits and community value are becoming the deciding test. JESSI's blueprint gives local officials and residents a framework for that test as energy- and water-hungry AI facilities spread.
Where things stand: Tom Moran, Head of the Data Center Energy and Water Working Group at JESSI, criticized efficiency-only metrics such as PUE. He also took aim at Europe's data center policies. He argued for measured demand, verified data and place-based limits, meaning standards set by what a specific community and grid can actually support.
"That shift from facility efficiency needs to start to be local system fit, or systemic fit," said Moran.
The blueprint pairs that framework with separate guides for policymakers and communities. The structure acknowledges that the real decisions on data centers increasingly happen at the local level: in permitting, utility interconnection and resident buy-in.
A desalination test case: Sam Minoka, Founder and CEO of GreenSpark, announced a pilot that tries to make a data center a contributor to a scarce local resource rather than a drain on it.
"GreenSpark is developing a pilot program with Sawako in Saudi Arabia to explore the integration of high-performance computing infrastructure with water desalination facilities," said Minoka.
The wording is exploratory. The pilot is still being developed, and no timeline, budget or capacity figures were announced.
The other side: The blueprint is a framework, not a binding standard. Its influence depends on whether governments, utilities and developers choose to adopt it. Moran's critique of Europe's policies also signals friction between the industry and regulators over how to measure sustainability.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: This was an informational session, and no formal votes were taken. Luis Neves, CEO of JESSI, closed by urging industry, governments, utilities and communities to work together. "We need to move from confrontation to collaboration," said Neves.
For communities facing data center proposals, the blueprint offers a vocabulary for demanding verified data on energy and water use. For developers, it signals that facility efficiency alone may not win approval. For utilities and local governments, it shifts the conversation toward system capacity and place-based limits.
What's next: No adoption timeline or follow-up actions were announced. Residents and officials weighing data center projects can use the community and policymaker guides as reference points in permitting debates.
Longi Pitches Solar-Plus-Storage for AI Power
Why it matters: Data centers need reliable power day and night, while solar output peaks at midday. Whether storage can bridge that gap will shape whether AI's growth runs on clean energy.
Where things stand: Leon Zhang, Chair of Overseas Business at Longi Solar, described a "stability triangle" of solar, storage and green hydrogen. He presented the Longi ONE product family, an integrated solar-plus-storage system that he said meets automotive-grade safety standards.
Zhang offered these figures on scale:
- 13 GWh of storage shipped to date
- 31 GWh of current capacity, targeting more than 100 GWh by 2028
- 30 centers of excellence planned by 2028
- Tier 1 customers including Engie and RWE
The other side: These were company claims made at a promotional session. No independent verification or performance data was presented. Zhang's pitch also centers on facility-level supply, while Moran's framework judges data centers by their effect on the wider local system.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No decisions were made. For utilities and developers, the pitch frames on-site solar-plus-storage as a way to reduce round-the-clock demand on the grid. For communities, the open question is whether such systems answer the local energy and water concerns raised in JESSI's blueprint.
What's next: Longi's stated milestones, more than 100 GWh of capacity and 30 centers of excellence, both target 2028.
Looking Ahead
This was a side press event at COP31, not an official UN climate negotiation, and it produced no binding commitments. The takeaway for local readers is the shift in framing. Industry voices are now arguing that data centers must prove they fit local energy and water limits, and that argument is likely to surface wherever new facilities seek approval.