Kuala lumpur: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has successfully provided electricity to 36 operational data centres, boasting a planned supply capacity of approximately 4.5 gigawatts (GW) through the first quarter of 2026, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, TNB has also fulfilled the power demand for 23 data centre projects currently under construction, with a maximum demand capacity of 3.8 GW. Based on projections from the Electricity Supply Planning and Implementation Committee and Tariffs (JPPPET) No 1/2026, peak demand is anticipated to rise sharply from 21.3 GW in 2026 to 33.5 GW by 2035, driven by the rapid expansion of data centres and high-tech industries.

'Electricity consumption by the data centre sector alone is expected to contribute up to 31 per cent, or equivalent to 73,274 gigawatt-hours (GWh), of total demand in 2035 compared to only seven per cent this year,' the ministry stated in a written response dated July 6, 2026, published on the Parliament website. This reply was in response to a query from Onn Abu Bakar (PH-Batu Pahat) concerning TNB's current position on electricity supply for the next decade, including the needs of data centres, high-tech industries, and the transition to green energy, as well as proposed upgrades to the national grid.

In alignment with the country's green energy transition, PETRA emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring an optimised electricity supply capacity mix, aiming for 70 per cent clean energy sources. This includes 58 per cent renewable energy, 10 per cent hydrogen, and two per cent nuclear by 2050, as decided by JPPPET Meeting No 1/2026.

To facilitate the increased integration of renewable energy into the national electricity supply system, the government has sanctioned a total capital expenditure allocation of RM43 billion to TNB under the Incentive-Based Regulation framework for the fourth regulatory period from 2025-2027.