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Keeping pace with power hungry data centres

Plugged In: the energy news podcast

Plugged In: the energy news podcast
Keeping pace with power hungry data centres
Jul 30, 2026 Season 8 Episode 32
Montel News

Artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy at extraordinary speed, but it's also creating one of the biggest new sources of electricity demand Europe has faced in decades. As hyperscale data centres continue to expand, are Europe's power systems, grids and energy markets ready to keep pace?

In this episode of the Plugged In Summer Series, we explore what the AI boom means for the energy transition. The discussion centres around power supply and how grid constraints could shape investment, to the role of flexibility, policy and smarter energy management. We chat about the challenges and opportunities facing Europe's electricity system in the wake of such a growing industry. 

Featuring insights from experts in technology policy, data centre strategy and the power sector, this episode asks whether AI's growing appetite for energy can be aligned with Europe's ambitions for a secure, affordable and low-carbon future—and what needs to happen next.

Host:

Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Guests:

Katie Berriman Davies, Head of Energy, TechUK

Liam Newcombe, SVP Product, Energy Strategy & Innovation, GreenScale

Steve Smith, Group Chief Strategy & UK External Affairs Officer, National Grid

Producer: Alexandra Carlon

Editor: Alexandra Carlon

#AI #DataCentres #EnergyTransition #ElectricityMarkets #PowerSystems #GridInfrastructure #Renewables #Flexibility #Decarbonisation #EnergyPolicy #Hyperscalers #DigitalInfrastructure #CleanEnergy #PluggedInPodcast #MontelNews