Overview
- The European Commission published its Strategic Roadmap on Wednesday, June 3, outlining measures to manage soaring electricity use from AI data centres and wider electrification.
- The Commission will propose a law later this year to speed deployment of AI-powered smart meters so consumers can shift use to cheaper hours and reduce peak demand.
- Data centres already use about 2.5% of EU electricity and the Commission and industry forecasts say capacity could more than double toward roughly 28 GW by 2030, raising risks for higher bills and strain on grids.
- The roadmap delays previously planned mandatory 2030 efficiency rules and an immediate sustainability label in favor of a mix of voluntary industry agreements, a new cross-border energy data framework, annual progress tracking, and €75 million from Horizon Europe for energy-efficient AI research.
- The Commission will carry out a needs assessment due by 2027 to design minimum performance standards for new and existing data centres, a review meant to decide later whether binding rules are required to protect the clean-energy transition.