A new policy report on the regulation of data centres in Europe published by Thomas Le Goff with CERRE

03 October 2025

Over the past 6 months, Thomas Le Goff et al. worked with the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) on Data Centres and electricity systems within the EU. The result of their research has been released in a brand new policy report on September 30th, 2025.

The report analysed issues like grid congestion, flexibility potential, environmental concerns, economic competitiveness, role of Data Centres (DCs) in digital sovereignty efforts… across 7 different jurisdictions.

Their conclusion? With the right policies in place, DCs can become active contributors to grid flexibility, economic competitiveness, and the EU’s climate and environmental objectives. Without, the EU will face recurring bottlenecks, missed opportunities, and risks jeopardizing its climate objectives. By « right policies » the co-authors also mean policies that take environmental sustainability seriously: we need to develop EU DC capacity, but not at all costs. Doing so without ensuring transparent reporting on emissions, preserving water resources and ensuring the use of best-available-technologies in terms of efficiency, risks hindering public adoption of AI on the long run.

Thomas Le Goff’s findings have been presented to key stakeholders, including the European Commission, at the Cercle Royal Gaulois in Brussels on September 30th. They have already been cited by influential media in the policy sphere like Politico and MLex.

Access the report here

You can also watch the replay of Thomas Le Goff’s presentation:

Header image source Tamebay