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Equinix Malaysia Explores Alternative Energy Ahead of July Tariff Hike Amid Data Center Expansion

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Equinix Malaysia, the local arm of global data center operator Equinix, is evaluating alternative energy providers to mitigate the impact of a 14.2% electricity tariff increase set to take effect in July, the company said on Wednesday. The tariff hike is expected to significantly raise operational costs, especially for energy-intensive data center operations.

Cheam Tat Inn, managing director of Equinix Malaysia, stated during a media walkabout at the Cyberjaya data center—now completing its second phase—that the company is actively engaging with renewable energy providers, although specific sources and timelines have not been disclosed.

Equinix currently operates two facilities in Malaysia:

  • Cyberjaya with a capacity of 4.8 megawatts (MW)

  • Johor with 2.4 MW, which is fully subscribed following its launch in May 2023.

Cheam added that customer occupancy at the Cyberjaya site is rising rapidly, underscoring strong regional demand for digital infrastructure.

Malaysia is in the midst of a data center boom, with forecasts projecting a fourfold increase in facilities over the next decade from the current 18, collectively demanding over 800MW of electricity. The surge is largely driven by the growing demand for AI and cloud services, with tech giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, ByteDance, and Oracle investing billions in the country.

Equinix has also been aggressively expanding across Southeast Asia, acquiring three data centers in the Philippines last year and maintaining operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore as it positions itself to tap into the region’s digital growth trajectory.

Blackstone Considers Minority Investment in U.S. TikTok Spinoff

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Private equity giant Blackstone is exploring a potential minority investment in TikTok’s U.S. operations, joining a group of non-Chinese shareholders led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic. This group is actively discussing fresh capital infusion to bid for TikTok’s U.S. business, with plans to spin off the U.S. operations into a separate entity, reducing Chinese ownership below the 20% threshold required by U.S. law.

This move comes as TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance due to national security concerns. A law passed last year mandates ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19 or face a potential ban. While the deadline has been extended under President Trump’s administration, negotiations continue to ensure compliance with the law.

ByteDance and its investors, including Blackstone, have yet to disclose the amount of new investment needed to meet the divestment requirements. Legal filings indicate that global investors own about 58% of ByteDance, with the company’s Chinese founder Zhang Yiming holding another 21%. Employees from various nationalities, including 7,000 Americans, own the remaining shares.

Discussions surrounding TikTok’s future involve significant U.S. government input, with the White House acting as a key player in the deal-making process.

FBI Investigating Cyberattack at Oracle Involving Patient Data Theft

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The FBI is currently investigating a cyberattack at Oracle that resulted in the theft of patient data, according to a Bloomberg News report. The attack, which occurred after January 22, compromised Oracle’s servers, where hackers copied patient data to an external location. The breach is believed to have been an attempt to extort multiple medical providers in the United States.

Oracle, which acquired Cerner Corp. in 2022 for $28 billion, notified its healthcare customers about the breach earlier this month. However, it remains unclear how many patient records were affected and which healthcare providers were targeted. The breach involved older Cerner servers, where data had not yet been transferred to Oracle’s cloud storage.

While the FBI has declined to comment, Oracle confirmed it became aware of the breach on February 20. Oracle has not yet responded to further inquiries. The company’s involvement in healthcare IT through its Cerner acquisition has likely increased its exposure to cybersecurity risks in the healthcare sector.