Energy, Data, Grids: Powering Europe's AI Future

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Energy, Data, Grids: Powering Europe's AI Future

📅 Date:
22/04/2026 | 
🕐 Time:
12:00 - 14:00 | 
📍 Location:
European Parliament, Brussels | 

About the Event


As Europe moves toward its next phase of the energy transition, the strategic focus is shifting toward the system reliability required to sustain our industrial and digital objectives. This challenge is immediate: digital infrastructure already represents 3% of total EU electricity demand, reaching as high as 20% in Ireland, and the EU aims to triple data centre processing capacity within the next five to seven years.
This discussion, part of GE Vernova's Electrification & Decarbonization Dialogue series, explores how Europe can secure the firm, dispatchable and low-carbon power necessary for AI-driven growth without compromising climate targets or grid stability.
The event will examine AI through two complementary lenses, beginning with the immediate demand challenge of providing constant, 24/7 carbon-free energy to data centres and hyperscalers. Addressing this requires a comprehensive, "all-of-the-above" approach that integrates accelerated renewable deployment with a diverse portfolio of firm, low-carbon technologies, including storage, small modular reactors (SMRs) and beyond. Energy abundance and grid resilience are the foundations of European AI sovereignty - without them, the EU cannot hope to keep pace with the US and China.
Conversely, the discussion will also highlight AI as a vital digital solution and a critical enabler for the energy transition itself. By leveraging predictive forecasting and automation, AI-driven tools can significantly enhance grid stability and optimize complex demand-response loads, ensuring that the very technology driving electricity demand also provides the analytical depth needed to manage and secure a modern, resilient energy infrastructure.

Hosted by


Inese VAIDERE, Member of the European Parliament, EPP Group, Latvia
MEP BadgeMEP  Flag of Latvia Latvia 
Member of the European Parliament
 EPP Group EPP  Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)  |  Jaunā Vienotība JV  Jaunā Vienotība 
Inese VAIDERE Committees
INTAInternational Trade
IMCOInternal Market & Consumer Protection
ITREIndustry, Research & Energy
HOUSHOUS Committee
Delegations
V-CHAIR DLATDelegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly
D-MXDelegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee
D-USD-US Delegation
DASEDelegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia & ASEAN
Philippe BENET, Global Solution Line Leader, GE Vernova
Philippe BENET
Global Solution Line Leader
GE Vernova
Jens DENNHARDT, Director of Strategy, RWE Generation SE
Jens DENNHARDT
Director of Strategy
RWE Generation SE
Job de VISSER, Manager Control Room of the Future, TenneT
Job de VISSER
Manager Control Room of the Future
TenneT
Thomas SPENCER, Senior Energy Expert, International Energy Agency
Thomas SPENCER
Senior Energy Expert
International Energy Agency (IEA)
Stavros STAMATOUKOS, Policy Officer for Digitalisation and AI, DG ENER
Stavros STAMATOUKOS
Policy Officer for Digitalisation and AI
DG ENER
Bertrand DEPREZ, Head of Governmental Affairs Europe, GE Vernova
Bertrand DEPREZ
Head of Governmental Affairs Europe
GE Vernova

Programme


Discussion
Philippe Benet | Global Solution Line Leader | GE Vernova 
Jens Dennhardt | Director of Strategy | RWE Generation SE 
Job de Visser | Manager Control Room of the Future | TenneT 
Thomas Spencer | Senior Energy Expert | International Energy Agency (IEA) 
Stavros Stamatoukos | Policy Officer for Digitalisation and AI | DG ENER 
Bertrand Deprez | Head of Governmental Affairs Europe | GE Vernova | Moderator 
Important – This event is by invitation, and only registered participants will be admitted. Due to capacity constraints, all attendees must register, including those already holding a European Parliament access badge. Registration is mandatory for admission.
MEP event
Released on: Belgium (België / Belgique / Belgien)

European Parliament

Rue Wiertz 60 1047 BRUSSELS

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