Launch Event : Powering AI: How Europe can align its AI data centre buildout with energy realities

Date: Tuesday, 17 November 2026 

Time: 16:30 – 18:00 

Venue: European Parliament (Spinelli 1G369), Brussels

Language: English
In person event

Background

AI is becoming a key driver of industrial competitiveness and technological sovereignty, making the
expansion of computing infrastructure one of the strategic priorities for Europe. Accelerating the
deployment of AI compute clusters have distinct workloads and electricity-demand patterns, creating
new challenges for their integration into the EU's electricity grids. Without adequate planning, their
growing demand risks locking in fossil gas and increasing emissions – just as Europe seeks to
decarbonise and reduce external dependencies.
Against this backdrop, the closed-door roundtable, co-hosted by FES Just Climate and MEP Nicolás
González Casares, will bring together policymakers and experts to explore how Europe can align its AI
data centre buildout with its energy realities. The event will build on the FES Just Climate publication
Powering AI: How Europe can align its AI data centre buildout with energy realities, authored by Maria
Nowicka. Its recommendations on capacity utilisation, workload flexibility and siting will provide a
starting point for examining policy solutions currently on the table, including solutions under the Cloud
and AI Development Act (CADA) proposal and the EU data centre labelling scheme, among others.
The roundtable will examine how Europe can square its evolving AI infrastructure rollout with
competitiveness, energy security and decarbonisation – and what policymakers need to keep in mind
to make these goals reinforce rather than undermine one another.

Programme

16:00 – 16:20 Registration at Accreditation Centre Altiero Spinelli building

16:30 – 16:35 Welcome and introductory remarks

• Richard Probst, Director, FES Competence Centre for Climate and Social Justice 

16:35 – 16:55 Presentation of the policy paper Powering AI: How Europe can align its AI data centre
       buildout with energy realities by author Maria Nowicka, Interface

16:55 – 17:00 Opening speech

• Nicolás González Casares, MEP S&D, Spain 

17:00 – 17:20 Comments by Brussels-based respondents:

• European Commission TBC
• EESC TBC
• Pawel Czyzak, Founder Ornaq.ai
• Nicolás González Casares, MEP S&D, Spain

17:20 – 18:00 Moderated discussion

• Moderator: Eliza Barnea, Policy Advisor, FES Competence Centre for Climate and Social Justice

If you’re interested in this topic, please send an e-mail to Eliza Barnea.

The policy paper can be read here.