The Commission is preparing to present, expectedly in the first quarter of 2026, a strategic roadmap for digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the energy sector.
Digital technologies (including AI) have the potential to accelerate the EU’s transition towards a cleaner and more decentralised energy system, while simultaneously improving energy efficiency and system reliability. The strategic roadmap will aim to unlock this potential and identify elements across all areas of intervention that could accelerate development. The initiative will put forward five main objectives:
Accelerate the deployment of digital and AI solutions in the energy system
The focus will be to establish an EU coordination framework to facilitate continuous access to energy data in order to create a market for innovative energy services, such as demand-side flexibility and bidirectional charging of electric vehicles; to support energy companies in developing AI models as well as testing and experimentation facilities; to help households reduce energy consumption and improve the energy efficiency of buildings; and to build on ongoing work on developing key indicators for smart grids and on creating digital twins for EU electricity networks.
Promote research, innovation and coordination to prepare the energy system of the future
The aim will be to foster innovative digital and AI solutions for the energy sector by leveraging EU funding programmes (in particular Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, LIFE and the Connecting Europe Facility – Energy); to reduce the innovation gap and strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty; and to accelerate research and innovation.
Sustainably integrate the electricity needs of data centres into the energy system
The objective will be to improve long-term planning and the sustainable integration of data centres into EU electricity grids, by strengthening dialogue and coordination between data centre developers, clean energy producers, grid operators, Member States and national regulatory authorities; to improve the efficiency of data centres through the introduction of a classification system (and possibly minimum performance standards); and to reduce pressure on electricity grids (for instance through demand-side flexibility), while minimising the impact on local communities.
Enhance transparency and risk oversight
The scope will be to share best practices on the use of AI solutions in critical energy infrastructures; to provide guidance on the use of high-risk AI systems in the energy sector; to create a repository of incidents and near-miss events involving AI tools in the energy sector, in order to share lessons learned; and to promote the use of AI to strengthen the safety and physical integrity of energy assets.
Establish a governance and coordination framework
The purpose will be to reinforce collaboration between governments, industry, civil society and research institutions, in order to maximise the benefits of digital and AI technologies for the energy sector; to promote knowledge transfer among Member States; to support partnerships with international organisations and fora (for example, the International Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Ministerial); and to initiate dialogues with like-minded countries.
Overall, the roadmap will aim to harness the potential of digital and AI technologies for the energy system, while at the same time mitigating associated risks and fostering both decarbonisation and the competitiveness of the EU economy, identified as the first and second pillars of the Competitiveness Compass.
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