On 3 June, the European Commission published the Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy .The document aims to systematically advance the deployment of digitalisation and artificial intelligence within the energy sector, while addressing grid pressure stemming from the rapid growth of data centres.The Roadmap was released mainly for two reasons. First, frequent fluctuations in fossil fuel prices triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and unrest in the Middle East have, in the EU’s view, exposed excessive reliance on imported external energy. Second, energy consumption by artificial intelligence and data centres is rising rapidly. Data centres currently account for 2.5% of the EU’s electricity consumption, and their installed capacity is projected to grow from approximately 12 GW in 2025 to around 28 GW in 2030. The EU assesses that without intervention, such growth could exacerbate grid congestion, drive up electricity prices and hamper the grid integration of clean energy. Digitalisation and AI themselves, however, can serve as solutions: through smart grids, demand-side flexibility and data-driven operation, they help cut system costs and boost the absorption capacity of renewable energy. View Details >