EPRI's Data Center Flexibility and Grid Reliability Initiative Expands to Europe

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EPRI, a global non-profit energy research and development organization, today announced the international expansion of its DCFlex initiative, starting with participants in Europe.

Introduced last year in the United States, DCFlex explores how data centers can support the electric grid, enable better asset utilization, and improve interconnection and efficiency. The collaborative effort—with Google, Meta, NVIDIA, and various utilities as founding members—now includes France-based RTE and Schneider Electric, Amsterdam-based ING, and PPC Group, based in Athens, Greece. 

Data centers are one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. Between 2017 and 2021, electricity used by Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google— the main providers of commercially available cloud computing and digital services—more than doubled. Power consumption by data centers in Europe is projected to triple by 2030, according to a 2024 report from McKinsey & Company. The research found that electric demand from data centers in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and Britain will rise from 10 gigawatts (GW) today to 35 GW by 2030. In Ireland for example, data centers account for more than 20% of all electricity consumption.

DCFlex will establish flexibility hubs, demonstrating innovative data center and power supplier strategies that enable operational and deployment flexibility, streamline grid integration, and transition backup power solutions to grid assets. Demonstration deployments will begin in the first half of 2025, and testing is planned to run through 2027.

"Europe is experiencing significant growth in electricity demand, driven by data centers, AI, increased electrification, and other factors," said EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor. "Flexible data center design and operation is a key strategy for accelerating AI development and realizing its benefits, while minimizing costs and enhancing system reliability," he added.

"As the demand for grid connections from hyperscalers grows exponentially in France, RTE must match the electric consumption of their algorithms with the power system constraints to accelerate the connection process," said Xavier Piechaczyk, president of the managing board, RTE. "Full-scale experimentations of DCFlex projects will demonstrate the technical feasibility of data center flexibility solutions and will guide innovative grid connection solutions."

"At Google, we see this moment as a generational opportunity for the public and private sector to work together to meet energy demand responsibly and unlock significant benefits for people, the economy and the planet," said Caroline Golin, global head of Energy Market Development and Innovation at Google. "Through the leadership, expertise, and convening power of EPRI, DCFlex will be an important collaboration vehicle to align our common goals, as we work together to build a stronger electrical grid for all."

"At Schneider Electric, we are on a mission to help our partners design, build, and operate data centers and power systems optimized for sustainability and the good of society and the planet," said Steve Carlini, chief advocate, AI and Data Center, vice president at Schneider Electric. "EPRI's DCFlex initiative will be a tremendous catalyst for progress in developing and testing new technologies, frameworks, and operational models. The collaboration between leading data center operators, utilities, and other stakeholders will be critical to solving these problems, and we are thrilled to be participating."

"The energy and technology industries are becoming ever more interlinked and interdependent in the new era of decentralized-flexible energy generation, exponential data growth, and AI," said PPC Group Chairman and CEO Georgios Stassis. "At PPC Group, an energy provider entering the connectivity and data center business, we are proud to join the DCFlex initiative as we continue to advance Greece's energy and digital future. We look forward to collaborating with other forward-thinking companies, and together, develop the innovative solutions that will power the exciting data-driven future."

"We are proud to be the first global financial institution to join DCFlex and to play a leading role in shaping the solutions necessary to ensure electric grid stability and sustainable growth of the data center sector," said Mark Pieter de Boer, global head of sector coverage and chief commercial officer, ING. "We are committed to supporting our clients' sustainability ambitions, not just in financing existing initiatives, but also using our cross-sector expertise and global network to partner to solve real-world challenges."

To learn more about DCFlex and its participants, visit: https://dcflex.epri.com/

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About EPRI

Founded in 1972, EPRI is the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, with offices around the world. EPRI's trusted experts collaborate with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, affordable, and equitable access to electricity across the globe. Together…shaping the future of energy.®

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SOURCE EPRI