AI and energy grids in Europe: speeding up access and managing the energy and digital transition

Next event In person

Climate, Energy & Natural Resources

01Jul2026

starts 18:00

ends 20:30

Add to Google Outlook Yahoo iCalendar

About Schedule Speakers Partners

Get in touch

About

Europe finds itself in a momentous occasion; renewable energy is now the largest contributor to the total EU energy production with a share of about 50%, followed by nuclear as the second largest source. While the majority of the European energy consumption still comes from energy imports of fossil fuels, they have decreased both in value and in volume since 2022. The most recent global energy shock caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is also showing the inherent vulnerability of relying on fossil fuel imports.

In this context, the connection between artificial intelligence, data centres and the energy system represents another major driver of change, central to the upcoming European Commission Tech Sovereignty package and the ambition to triple data centre capacity by 2035. Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) also shows that the capital expenditure on data centre investment of the five largest technology companies is now larger than the global investment in oil and natural gas production. This rapid expansion is highlighting some of the bottlenecks that had already been identified for European energy grids, such as connection queues affecting renewable energy and electrification of industry, long planning and permitting procedures, supply-chain constraints, and the substantial financing required for grid expansion and modernisation.

The current expansion can however also provide the opportunity to address these long-standing issues and be a major driver of innovation in the energy sector, taking advantage of the transformative effects of the recent technological advancements in artificial intelligence. This high-level discussion will explore what concrete actions are needed from regulators, energy sector actors and AI developers to increase connection of AI-related projects to energy grids and to avoid a mismatch between the current energy investments and demand arising from data centres.

Following the publication of the European Commission strategic roadmap for digitalisation and AI in energy, a critical part of this second policymakers’ debate led by Friends of Europe will be devoted to discussing how to achieve Europe’s goal to speed up the deployment of data centre infrastructure and their integration in the grid infrastructure, at a moment where trust, transparency and energy affordability are crucial points of discussion for local communities, energy sector actors and public authorities.

Related content:

Our events include photos, audio and video recording that we might use for promotional purposes. By registering you expressly confirm that you have read and understood Friends of Europe privacy policy. Should you have any questions, please contact us on privacy@friendsofeurope.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock| ABCDstock

Schedule

18.30 20.30

AI and energy grids in Europe: speeding up access and managing the energy and digital transition

Add to Google Outlook Yahoo iCalendar

Expand AI and energy grids in Europe: speeding up access and managing the energy and digital transition

Guiding questions:

What concrete steps should regulators take to make grid connections for digital infrastructure, and other grid users, more efficient?
What role should grid operators, utilities and other energy sector actors have in managing the expansion of AI-focused data centres and how can collaboration across the ecosystem speed up connections?
What role, beyond the current EU initiatives, should member states have in managing the opportunity for the digital and energy transition?
What innovative approaches could AI developers and data centre operators deploy, in terms of credible demand forecasts, financial commitments, flexibility and clean energy?

Add to Google Outlook Yahoo iCalendar

Speakers

Bogdan Popescu is Google’s Senior Lead on Energy market development in EMEA. This includes developing energy markets and designing and executing EU-wide strategies and partnerships to deliver resilient, economic, timely and clean energy for data centers as part of Google’s goal to operate 24/7 carbon-free in every hour and in every location. Before joining Google, Bogdan directed the program on industry decarbonization at the French Prime Minister General Secretariat for Ecological Planning, and prior to that he led EU energy negotiations as Head Energy Counsellor for France’s Permanent Representation to the EU. He also previously enforced energy sector regulation and competition rules for the European Commission, and developed and financed renewable energy projects for major international energy companies. Bogdan is a graduate of Mines Paristech and of the Corps des Mines, a foremost technical corps of the French State.

Tamsin Rose is a facilitator who was until recently a senior fellow for health at Friends of Europe. Having studied international relations, she has 25 years of experience working across the European continent from Ireland to Mongolia. A natural communicator, Tamsin has been a radio reporter, worked on press for the EU Delegation in Moscow and is currently a member of the external speaker team for the European Commission Directorate-General for Communication, describing how the EU works and key policies to visitor groups from around the world. Since 2002, she has specialised in public health and public participation issues, serving as the Secretary General of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), and providing strategic advice for health groups on how to engage successfully with the EU.

Stavros Stamatoukos is a senior energy engineer with 25-years of experience in energy systems. He works at the European Commission (DG Energy), specialising in the digitalisation and use of Artificial Intelligence in energy systems. Before joining the Commission, Stavros spent 15 years in the private sector, working in the design and construction of energy infrastructure projects. He holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and a Master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Amsterdam Business School.

Partners