Source: WIRED
Germany's failed district heating scheme reveals a hard constraint: data centers demand massive, constant power supplies that Europe's renewable grid cannot yet guarantee at scale. The collision between AI infrastructure growth and climate commitments is no longer theoretical. Policymakers face a choice: host compute domestically or offshore it to regions with cheaper, dirtier power—which defeats the climate goal entirely. Where AI training happens next, and who controls that infrastructure, now turns on power availability.