AI boom thrusts Europe between power-hungry data centers and environmental goals
A large hallway with supercomputers inside a server room data center.
Luza Studios | E+ | Getty Images
The boom in artificial intelligence is ushering in an environmentally conscious shift in how data centers operate, as European developers face pressure to lower the water temperatures of their energy-hungry facilities to accommodate the higher-powered chips of firms such as tech giant Nvidia.
AI is estimated to drive a 160% growth in demand for data centers by 2030, research from Goldman Sachs shows — an increase that could come at a cost to Europe’s decarbonization goals, as the specialized chips used by AI firms are expected to hike the energy use of the data centers that deploy them.
High-powered chips — also known as graphics processing units, or GPUs — are essential for training and deploying large language models, which are a type of AI. These GPUs need high density computing power and produce more heat, which ultimately requires colder water to support reliable cooling of the chips.
AI can consume 120 kilowatts of energy in just one square meter of a data center, which is equivalent to the power consumption and heat dissipation of around 15 to 25 houses, according to Andrey Korolenko, chief product and infrastructure officer at Nebius, who referred specifically to the deployment of Nvidia’s Blackwell GB200 chip.
“This is extremely dense, and from the cooling standpoint of view you need different solutions,” he said.
The problem we’ve got with the chipmakers, is AI is now a space race run by the American market where land rights, energy access and sustainability are relatively low on the pecking order, and where market domination is key,” Winterson told CNBC
Michael Winterson
chair of the EUDCA
Michael Winterson, chair of the European Data Center Association (EUDCA), warned that lowering water temperatures will eventually “fundamentally drive us back to an unsustainable situation that we were in 25 years ago.”
“The problem we’ve got with the chipmakers is [that] AI is now a space race run by the American market where land rights, energy access and sustainability are relatively low on the pecking order, and where market domination is key,” Winterson told CNBC.
Major equipment suppliers in Europe say that U.S. chip designers are calling on them to lower their water temperatures to accommodate the hotter AI chips, according to Herbert Radlinger, managing director at NDC-GARBE.
“This is shocking news, because originally everybody from the engineering side expected to go for liquid cooling to run higher temperatures,” he told CNBC, referring to the technology of liquid cooling, which is said to be more efficient than the more traditional method of air cooling.
‘Evolution discussion’
Energy efficiency is high on the European Commission’s agenda, as it seeks to reach its goal of reducing energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030. The EU predicted in 2018 that energy consumption of data centers could rise 28% by 2030, but the advent of AI is expected to boost that number two or threefold in some countries.
Winterson said that lowering water temperatures is “fundamentally incompatible” with the EU’s recently launched Energy Efficiency Directive, which established a dedicated data base for data centers of a certain size to publicly report on their power consumption. The EUDCA has has been lobbying Brussels to consider these sustainability concerns.
Energy management firm Schneider Electric engages often with the EU on the topic. Many of the recent discussions have focused on different ways to source “prime power” for AI data centers and for the potential for more collaboration with utilities, said Steven Carlini, chief advocate of AI and data centers and vice president at Schneider Electric.
European Commission energy officials have also had exchanges with Nvidia to discuss energy consumption and the use of data centers with regard to the effectiveness of power use and that of chipsets.
CNBC has approached Nvidia and the Commission for comment.
“Cooling is the second-largest consumer of energy in the data center after the IT load,” Carlini told CNBC in emailed comments. “The energy use will rise but the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) may not rise with lower water temperatures despite the chillers having to work harder.”
Schneider Electric’s customers that are deploying Nvidia’s Blackwell GB200 super chip are asking for water temperatures of 20-24 degrees Celsius or between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, Carlini said.
He added that this compares to temperatures of around 32 degrees Celsius with liquid cooling, or of around 30 degrees Celsius that Meta has suggested for the water it supplies to the hardware.
Ferhan Gunen, vice president of data center operations for the U.K. at Equinix, told CNBC that there are a number of concerns about AI that Equinix has been discussing with its customers.
“They want to increase the density of their servers, which is, they want to have higher-power-using chips, or they want to have more servers,” she said, adding that the shift is not “clear cut.”
“It’s really an evolution discussion more than anything,” Gunen said.
Nvidia, which declined to comment on the cooling requirements of its chips, announced a new platform for its Blackwell GPUs earlier this year. It said that the architecture would enable organizations to run real-time generative AI on large language models at up to 25 times less cost and energy consumption compared to earlier technology.
Liquid cooling will require a “reconfiguration,” Gunen explained, adding that new data centers are already coming ready with this technology. “Yes, higher density will mean more power use, and will also mean more cooling requirement. But then the technology is changing, so you’re doing it differently. That’s why there is a balance in all of this,” she said.
Race for efficiency
Nebius, which has around $2 billion in cash on its balance sheet after splitting from Russia’s Yandex, has said it will be one of the first to bring Nvidia’s Blackwell platform to customers in 2025. The firm has also announced plans to invest more than $1 billion on AI infrastructure in Europe by the middle of next year.
Nebius’ Korolenko said liquid cooling is a “first step,” where cost of ownership will initially be worse before improving over time.
“There’s a big push to deliver, but at the same time, when you go to scale, you will want to have the ability to choose, to be economical and not sacrifice too much. Power efficiency is important for the running costs. It’s always a high priority,” Korolenko said.
Even before a boom in demand for AI applications hit the market, the data center industry in Europe was struggling to keep pace with the growing digital sector.
Sicco Boomsma, managing director of ING’s TMT team, said those involved in the market are “very sensitive to power” and that while Europe’s focus is on infrastructure, the U.S. has focused more on expanding assets in Europe where power is available.
“There’s a tremendous amount of data center operators also coming from the U.S. that are aligning in order to ensure that their data center infrastructure is in line with the various goals that the EU has as well, such as being carbon neutral, such as being efficient, on water utilization, maintaining biodiversity.”
“It is a sort of a race where they want to demonstrate that their knowledge is leading to super efficient infrastructure,” he said.
It’s Labor Day weekend, which means big deals on car lots across America – especially if you’re shopping for a new electric vehicle to help with your labor. We’ve rounded up the best offers on electric pickups, vans, and even a great option for ride share drivers!
Sure, there’s a bit of irony in pitching “work vehicles” on a holiday meant for not working – but for many small business owners, work is part of who they are. And with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit set to expire, plus a wave of great Labor Day deals on work-ready EVs, now might be the best time yet to plug into a new electric ride.
Here are some of the standout electric vehicles offers we found this Labor Day weekend (2025), organized by vehicle type.
Electric pickup | F-150 Lightning
The “Ford for America,” summer sales event continues through Labor Day with interest-free 0% financing, $0 down payment, and zero payments for up to 90 days for retail customers. Ford is also throwing in $0 maintenance for 24 months.
But wait, there’s more! Ford Authority is reporting that a complimentary home charger and standard installation might also be included as part of the Ford Power Promise promotion happening at participating dealers in select markets with the purchase of a new F-150 Lightning pickup through the end of September.
Lease customers aren’t being left out, either. You can lease a 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT 4P 311A pickup at $399 per month for 36 months, with “just” $399 due at signing (basically your first month’s payment).
Electric van | Chevy Brightdrop
The best electric vehicle deal in the business keeps on truckin’ into Labor Day weekend, with new 2025 Brightdrop models currently eligible for up to $21,500 in manufacturer rebates before any Federal, state, local utility, or even Costco membership incentives kick in.
For your money, you get a capable, Ultium-based electric cargo van with more room than your college dorm and a nationwide dealer network to keep it up and running when you need it most.
Electric van (hon. mention) | Mercedes eSprinter
Despite being based on the company’s existing diesel platform, Mercedes’ eSprinter has proven itself a capable urban hauler in the hands of Amazon, DHL, and countless European tradespeople. Despite that, there are still a handful of leftover 2024 models hanging around dealer lots – enough that Mercedes is offering up to $30,000 (!) Customer Cash on any new ’24MY eSprinter purchased from dealer stock.
That discount is enough to bring the price of this 2024 eSprinter in Chicago from $87,823 all the way down to $57,823 this Labor Day weekend – and that’s before you factor in state and local utility incentives that can bring the price down even further.
As you can imagine, there’s some fine print on that Customer Cash deal. It can’t be combined with Special APR programs through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (MBFS), but it can be combined with the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Medium Fleet Program.
Ride share ride | VW ID.4
Ride share drivers looking for comfortable seats, room for five adults and their luggage, proven battery life, and lickety-quick charging speeds can stop looking. Volkswagen is offering a sweet ID.4 lease at nearly half the cost of an entry-level Jetta with payments starting at just $129/mo. – that’s despite the ID.4 carrying a significantly higher MSRP.
And, while we’re at it, it’s probably worth noting that serious road warriors will probably save more than $129/mo. in fuel alone.
If you prefer to own your vehicles after making payments on them for a few years, you can also get 0% interest financing on select ID.4s for up to 72 months. It’s important to note here that Volkswagen’s deals can vary wildly by region. That $129/mo. offer is available in California and a few other West Coast states, for example, but the electric crossover’s listed at $329 for 24 months with $4,499 due at signing in others.
Disclaimer: the vehicle models and financing deals above were sourced from CarsDirect, CarEdge, and (where mentioned) the OEM websites – and were current as of 29AUG2025. These deals may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied). Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.
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Sustainable construction experts McKinstry have teamed up with leading BESS developers Viridi and the Denver Public Library to deploy a first-of-its-kind solar and battery storage system that sets a new standard for fire safety.
The Denver Public Library sought a battery energy storage system (BESS) that could deliver cost savings without compromising safety for staff, visitors, or the architecturally significant, Michael Graves–designed structure itself. That required a battery backup solution that not only met the city’s fire safety standards, but also addressed public fears about the risk of lithium-ion battery fires.
That unique set of project priorities led the library to Viridi, makers of the RPSLinkEX battery solution that’s equipped with a unique, “passive Fail-Safe thermal management and anti-propagation technology” designed to prevent the sort of thermal runaway that leads to li-ion battery fires.
“Public facilities like the Denver Public Library are at the forefront of demonstrating that energy resilience and safety can go hand in hand,” said Jon M. Williams, CEO at Viridi. “This installation highlights how fail-safe battery storage can empower communities to maximize renewable energy, reduce costs, and maintain reliability – all without compromise.”
Keeping it safe
Viridi doesn’t talk too much about how its passive Fail-Safe thermal management system works, but if you’re picturing heat-dissipating layers, fire-resistant insulation, and strategically-placed phase change materials (or PCMs) limiting the transfer of heat from one cell to another if it begins to overheat, you’ve probably cracked it.
These passive safety features enable safer deployment scenarios in occupied buildings or near critical infrastructure by reducing dependence on active fire suppression systems like sprinklers or fire extinguishers, and convinced the City of Denver to move forward with the project, which is the city’s first-ever solar + battery storage system.
“The entire McKinstry team is very excited about developing and constructing the first Solar + BESS project for the City and County of Denver,” said Jon Ensley, Sr. Construction Project Engineer at McKinstry. “We are appreciative of all our partners and stakeholders who helped to achieve this goal. We value Viridi’s expertise in deploying this technology and the whole team has been great to work with.”
McKinstry says this latest solar project sets, “a new benchmark for how cities can combine renewable energy and battery storage without compromising safety.” And, with solutions like the RPSLinkEX building systems that meet city planners and politicians where they are, instead of trying to educated them about the objective, proven safety of li-ion batteries, Viridi is helping communities adopt cleaner, more resilient clean energy solutions sooner rather than later.
READ MORE
SOURCE | IMAGES: Viridi, via PV Magazine; Michael Graves.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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China’s Dongfang Electric has installed a 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine, snatching the title of world’s most powerful from Siemens Gamesa’s 21.5 turbine in Denmark.
The Chinese state-owned manufacturer announced today that it has installed the world’s most powerful wind turbine prototype at a testing and certification base. This turbine, the world’s largest for capacity and size, boasts a blade wheel diameter of more than 310 meters (1,107 feet) and a hub height of 185 meters (607 feet). Dongfang shipped the turbine’s nacelle earlier this month – the world’s heaviest – along with three blades.
This offshore wind turbine is designed for areas with wind speeds of 8 meters per second and above. With average winds of 10 meters per second, just one of these giants can generate 100 GWh of power annually, which is enough to power 55,000 homes. That’s enough to cut standard coal consumption by 30,000 tons and reduce CO2 emissions by 80,000 tons. Dongfang says it’s wind resistant up to 17 (200 km/h) on the extended Beaufort scale.
In May, Dongfang said it had completed static load testing on the turbine’s blades, and the turbine is now undergoing fatigue testing, which could take up to a year before the turbine is fully certified.
Read more: Trump just killed all offshore wind zones as US power needs surge
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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