Introduction 2

The pull of emerging markets: Overflow, domestic growth, energy cost, and flexibility 3

Grid maturity and reliability 6

Energy pricing and volatility 6

Abundant but stranded renewable potential 6

Emerging-market conditions and risks 6

Connectivity constraints and redundancy gaps 7

Regulatory variance and permitting

complexity 7

Skills, supply chains, and local ecosystem readiness 7

The case for hybrid strategies 8

Hyperscale, colocation, and edge deployment models 8

Different classes of AI and cloud workloads 9

Technology and energy sources 10

Policy alignment and governance frameworks 11

Workforce, skills, and ecosystem readiness 12

Conclusion: Building the energy foundations of the AI era 14

Annex: Case studies and siting comparisons 15