Featured in The power puzzle – 06 – 2026

Feeding Europe’s AI energy demand

On one hand, European policymakers are aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. On the other, they’re aiming to at least triple the region’s data center market by the mid-2030s to conserve European digital sovereignty and economic competitiveness. Is it possible to do both? Not without demand-side flexibility, cross-border electricity trading, and smarter integration of renewable energy assets.

By

Blathnaid O’Dea

24 Jun 2026

Google’s Saint-Ghislain data center in Belgium uses solar. | Image: Google

On one hand, European policymakers are aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. On the other, they’re aiming to at least triple the region’s data center market by the mid-2030s to conserve European digital sovereignty and economic competitiveness. Is it possible to do both? Not without demand-side flexibility, cross-border electricity trading, and smarter integration of renewable …

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