Integrated Decision-Making Methodology for Low-Carbon Data Center Siting, Dispatch, and Transmission Based on Wind-Solar-Hydro-Computing Synergy

The integration of renewable energy (RE) systems into data center presents a critical pathway against high electricity costs and carbon emissions. However, this transition faces huge challenges of source-load compatibility and economic feasibility. This study proposes an integrated multi-stage framework addressing three-dimensional synergies among site selection, multi-energy dispatch, and transmission planning for RE-powered data centers. First, a geospatial evaluation methodology is developed to identify optimal data center locations through multi-criteria analysis. Second, a multi-energy complementary dispatch model is formulated to coordinate wind, solar, hydroelectric resources with dynamic computing loads. Third, a techno-economic comparison is conducted between direct-current and alternating-current transmission systems employing life-cycle cost analysis. A case study in Liangshan Prefecture in China demonstrates that the optimized solution achieves 100% renewable energy utilization rate, and identifies direct-current transmission as more economically viable for 110 kV medium-voltage applications. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and infrastructure planners seeking to balance sustainability goals with economic feasibility in RE-powered data center deployments.