Powering AI, Heating Cities: Data Centers as Energy Infrastructure – Nordic-Baltic Rountable

Europe needs significantly more data centers capacity to support AI, cloud and digital sovereignty. The question is not only how to power this growth, but how to integrate data centers more effectively into Europe’s energy systems.
One largely untapped opportunity is excess heat. Where suitable infrastructure exists, heat generated by data centers can supply homes and public buildings, reduce demand for other energy sources and turn a by-product of digital growth into a local energy resource.

However, heat-reuse projects remain difficult to deliver. Their viability depends on distance, temperature, seasonal demand and, crucially, agreement on who builds, owns and finances the necessary infrastructure.

Main questions:

• When is data center heat reuse technically and commercially viable?
• Where should the data center operator’s responsibility end and the heat-network operator’s begin?
• Who should finance and own the heat pumps, pipelines and connection infrastructure?
• How should recovered heat be priced, and who should benefit?
• What role should governments, municipalities and EU funding play in de-risking projects?
• Could the Nordic-Baltic region develop a replicable model for integrating data centers into local energy systems?