Opinion: Europe should make AI prove its value before granting grid priority
A commentary in The Next Web argues that Europe should not automatically prioritize data-centre and AI electricity demand when allocating scarce grid capacity. It says developers should demonstrate credible demand, explain public benefits and cover infrastructure costs. The article cites the International Energy Agency’s 2025 base case, which projected global data-centre electricity consumption of about 945 terawatt-hours by 2030, more than twice the 2024 level; the forecast covers data centres broadly, not AI alone. It also cites AEP Ohio’s 2026 update: an initial pool of roughly 30 gigawatts of data-centre requests fell to about 13 gigawatts after customers had to request and pay for engineering studies, while binding agreements covered approximately 5.6 gigawatts.
The commentary presents AEP Ohio’s financial-screening approach as a practical example for reducing the risk of building infrastructure around demand that may not materialize. Its proposed safeguards, including upfront credit, study fees, project milestones and developer responsibility for grid-upgrade costs, are intended to give planners firmer commitments on which to base investment.
Governments, households and businesses have a stake in how electricity networks accommodate the next wave of industrial growth. When someone proposes a major data centre development, the question extends beyond whether it can secure a connection to the grid. It also includes the additional cost of accommodating the connection. And it includes the need for generation capacity to supply it.
This raises the uncomfortable question of who pays for the supporting infrastructure. It also raises the question of what other opportunities that power system investment may serve beyond data centre load. Europe should apply that scrutiny to the expansion of artificial intelligence.