The Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) has released a whitepaper outlining 10 policy recommendations to help governments support data center investment while managing infrastructure and resource constraints.
Titled Maximizing the Data Center Opportunity — A Playbook for Policymakers, the whitepaper examines the growing role of data centers in supporting artificial intelligence (AI) development and digital economies across the Asia-Pacific region with key considerations include access to electricity, water, land and connectivity, as well as predictable investment policies and sufficient infrastructure capacity.
APDCA brings together leading APAC commercial data center operators to shape policy pathways and drive informed discussion about the systems and infrastructure needed to build a secure and sustainable digital future. Its members include AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Digital Realty, EdgeConneX, Equinix, Global Switch, Meta, NTT Global Data Centers, Princeton Digital Group, STACK Infrastructure, STTGDC, and Vantage.
In a press release, Jeremy Deutsch, Chair, APDCA, said, “Governments across the region have told us they want practical examples, not just principles. This playbook is our response: ten policy steps across Plan, Provision and Partner, drawn from the experience of operators that build and run data centres in many markets. We look forward to working with governments to apply it, so that data centre growth delivers lasting benefits for economies and communities.”
The whitepaper finds that investments are increasingly mobile, and that jurisdictions compete not only on access to land and power, but also on policy certainty, efficient approvals and the ability to support sustainable long-term growth.
It also finds that the time and uncertainty associated with permitting, are the most common barriers to data center investment. “While robust planning and environmental assessment remain essential for major infrastructure projects, lengthy, opaque or poorly coordinated approval processes can delay investment, increase financing costs and make it harder to align construction with customer demand and supporting infrastructure,” says the whitepaper.
The recommendations are grouped into three areas which are plan, provision and partner that cover demand forecasting, infrastructure planning, investment frameworks, approval processes, collaboration with industry and communities to develop skills and build public trust.
It advocates for building the evidence base and institutional capability needed to support long-term data center development. It also lays emphasis on creating the conditions that enable investment through efficient planning, reliable infrastructure and supportive policy frameworks. Finally, it calls for greater collaboration between industry and other stakeholders to build skills, foster innovation, strengthen public confidence, and continuously improve policy as the sector evolves.
The paper draws on the experiences of APDCA members and policy approaches from markets across the region and around the world. It also provides practical examples and assessment questions to help governments adapt the recommendations to local conditions and different stages of market development.