Europe Wants Data Centers. Its Climate Goals Are Getting in the Way
Germany and other European nations are struggling to balance strict climate goals with the massive energy demands of a growing AI data center boom. Germany recently rolled back strict waste-heat recycling mandates after industry pushback.
Why it matters
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is colliding directly with global commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
However, Germany has found that its AI ambitions are butting up against its climate commitments. EU member states have committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by the end of the decade. But policies meant to help meet that target are interfering with attempts to trigger a data center building frenzy.
As part of its broader climate commitments, the previous German administration voted through the Energy Efficiency Act in 2023. Among other things, it required all new data centers to recycle a portion of the waste heat generated by their computer equipment, ideally into nearby municipal heating systems. It seemed like a no-brainer, says Patrick Graichen, who served as a senior official at Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy at the time, before resigning over cronyism allegations.
“We need clean heat, and data centers are a source of clean heat,” Graichen tells WIRED.
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