The European Data Centre Association has signed a Declaration of Intent to integrate data centres into the EU energy system. The agreement brings together data centre, energy and grid groups across Europe.
The move places the association in a cross-sector effort linked to the European Commission's Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in the Energy Sector. It comes as the EU mobilises €200 billion for AI development and prepares for a sharp increase in data centre capacity over the next five to seven years.
The declaration sets out a framework for cooperation between data centres, energy stakeholders and local authorities in Member States. Its aim is to create shared principles, procedures and joint activities that national authorities can use when planning how digital infrastructure connects to power systems.
These areas include planning, forecasts, connection agreements, flexibility, energy generation and storage. Working clusters will focus on each priority, and the EUDCA will contribute technical and policy expertise.
The agreement reflects a broader shift in how policymakers and utilities view data centres. Rather than treating them only as large electricity users, they are increasingly involving operators in discussions about grid management, local energy planning and balancing demand with decarbonisation goals.
The issue has become more urgent as investment in AI, cloud computing and digital infrastructure rises across Europe. Expected growth in computing facilities is set to add pressure to electricity networks already dealing with electrification, renewable integration and storage needs.
The signatories span a broad range of the energy and infrastructure sectors. They include CurrENT Europe, E.DSO, Energy Storage Europe, EU DSO Entity, Eurelectric, Euroheat & Power, T&D Europe, ENTSO-E, Flow Batteries Europe, GEODE, nucleareurope, SolarPower Europe and WindEurope, alongside the EUDCA.
The breadth of the list shows how the debate over data centre growth is moving beyond the technology sector. Grid operators, storage groups, heating bodies, renewable energy organisations and equipment industry representatives are now involved in discussions about how new facilities can be connected and operated without worsening existing system constraints.
Planning pressure
The declaration aligns with several strands of EU policy, including the Data Centre Energy Efficiency Package, the European Grids Package and the Cloud and AI Development Act. It is intended to support voluntary actions that improve infrastructure integration while meeting energy and sustainability goals.
For Member States, one challenge is the time needed to secure grid connections for major facilities. In some markets, long waiting times and limited network capacity have become obstacles to new development, especially in locations where data centre demand is clustering around existing fibre, land and power infrastructure.
Officials and industry groups are also examining whether data centres can play a more active role in energy systems through demand flexibility, on-site generation and storage. Those options have gained prominence as power markets seek ways to absorb more intermittent renewable generation while maintaining system stability.
Lex Coors, President of EUDCA, described that changing role in a statement on the agreement. "The energy system can no longer be viewed as a single connection to a single data centre. Europe is moving into a more complex, four-dimensional environment where capacity, flexibility, sustainability and digital resilience must be planned together. Data centres are becoming part of the wider energy system, and this Declaration of Intent is an important step towards building that cooperation in a responsible and future-proof way," he said.
Michael Winterson, Secretary General of EUDCA, said the scale of planned digital infrastructure growth would require closer coordination across sectors. "Europe's AI, cloud and digital ambitions will require significant new infrastructure capacity over the coming years. Delivering that growth responsibly will depend on much closer coordination between the digital infrastructure and energy sectors," he said. "This Declaration of Intent shows our commitment to partner with energy providers, local authorities and wider EU institutions to deliver on advanced technologies, energy and sustainability ambitions."
Industry role
The EUDCA, established in 2012, represents data centre operators, equipment suppliers and national trade associations across Europe. It has also taken part in industry efforts linked to climate targets, including as a co-founder of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, which seeks climate neutrality by 2030.
The latest agreement gives the association a formal role in discussions likely to shape how the next wave of European data centre development is planned. Its focus on connection agreements, storage, energy generation and flexibility points to a more integrated model in which digital infrastructure is treated as part of the wider energy system rather than as a standalone source of demand.