Europe must launch a 'fast energy' programme to power AI

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) paper by Nicu Popescu and Alan Riley calls for a comprehensive “fast energy” programme to accelerate permitting, grid buildout and deployment of clean and firm power across the EU to enable AI and protect competitiveness.

• Main announcement/action: The ECFR authors propose a fast energy programme focused on faster permitting (use/adoption of Article 122 measures), faster grid buildout, and faster deployment of clean and firm power; recommended actions include convening a small high-powered EU/member-state group to unblock legal and administrative barriers and consider additional financial/regulatory support. Key concrete elements: use all technologies (nuclear, CCGTs, near-to-market battery storage, renewables), draw on Article 122 emergency permitting, and explore co-financing of nuclear by tech firms; timelines/examples cited include Britain’s Fingleton regulatory review (launched April, reported December) and proposed 15–20 year long-term gas contracts.
• Background and details: The paper documents comparative capacity and investment examples—US “Stargate” ~ $500bn envisaged for hyperscale AI sites, UBS and investment-bank estimates of annual data-center investment approaching ~$500bn by the late-2020s, and energy figures such as AI-related electricity estimates of 165–325 TWh by 2028; it highlights price data (energy spike to €340 per MWh in Aug 2022 and ETS carbon price €70–€80 /tCO2 in 2025) and recommends ETS review, market mechanisms (PPAs/CfDs), supply diversification and scaling manufacturing (e.g., CCGTs) to shorten delivery timelines.