Finance
Belgium mulls energy limits for power-hungry data centres as AI demand surges
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Belgium considers capping electricity for data centres amid AI demand, ensuring other industries can access the grid. Elia proposes reforms.
By Alban Kacher
(Reuters) -Belgium's grid operator could set an electricity allocation limit on data centres to prevent other industrial users from being squeezed out, it said, following a surge in demand from the energy-intensive facilities that power AI.
Under reforms proposed by the operator Elia, data centres would be placed in a separate category that would allow grid capacity to be allocated specifically for them within a set limit, the company told Reuters.
That would ensure other sectors are not blocked out from connecting to the network, the operator said, adding that flexible connections where access may be limited during grid congestion would remain possible.
While major tech companies splurge billions of dollars on AI technologies and the data centres that run them, countries around the world are scrambling to meet the sudden demand for energy required to run the buildings, which are expected to drive power consumption to record highs over the next two years.
In Belgium, requests from data centres have shot up nine-fold since 2022, with reserved capacity for 2034 already running at more than double the 8 terawatt-hours foreseen in national grid development plans, Elia said.
"Such volumes were not anticipated during the development of the various grid development scenarios for Belgium’s electricity network," it said, emphasising the need to stop speculative developments that are unlikely to materialise from blocking grid capacity.
The evolution of data centre consumption will be addressed in the upcoming 2028–2038 federal grid development plan, the country's energy minister Mathieu Bihet told parliament earlier this week.
"I will pay particular attention to this during the plan’s approval," he said on Tuesday.
U.S. tech giant Google has plans to invest 5 billion euros ($5.80 billion) in Belgium, aiming to expand its data centre campuses to support its AI strategy.
(Reporting by Alban Kacher; Editing by Muvija M)
A data centre is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. They are essential for managing and storing large amounts of data, especially for applications like artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn. AI technologies are increasingly used in various sectors, including finance, to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.
Energy consumption is the amount of energy used by individuals, businesses, or systems. In the context of data centres, it refers to the electricity required to power and cool the servers and infrastructure.
Grid capacity refers to the maximum amount of electricity that can be transmitted through a power grid. It is crucial for ensuring that energy supply meets demand, especially during peak usage times.
Electricity allocation is the process of distributing available electrical power among various consumers or sectors. It helps manage demand and ensures that critical services have the necessary energy supply.
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