German energy company RWE calls for prioritisation of AI amid global competition

In view of the massive energy capacity needed for artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, German energy company RWE is calling for government support to ensure the German economy benefits from what is widely seen as one of the most important industries of the future, financial weekly WirtschaftsWoche reported. Speaking at the Handelsblatt Media Group’s Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH), RWE CEO Markus Krebber said, “In 15 years, we will have all the data centres we need for artificial intelligence. The only question is where these data centres will be located.” The availability of energy would determine which companies and countries will prevail in the competition for AI, Krebber stressed.

The immense energy requirements of AI are seen as a disadvantage that could undo the progress made so far towards a climate-neutral economy. Data centres could account for anywhere between 2 and 8 percent of total energy consumption in the future, Krebber said. That is not necessarily a problem, however, as Germany already holds some advantages, he added. As part of the energy transition, many fossil-fuel power plants are being shut down. These fully developed industrial sites, perfectly connected to the power grid, are ideal for locating large data centres, the energy company CEO said.

AI projects must now be prioritised and approved preferentially, he added, arguing that energy sources should be of secondary importance. In the global AI competition, “speed to market” will be decisive, Krebber said. Currently, this speed from planning a data centre with power supply to switching it on is seven years. "We need to get it down to two years," he added.

Germany is partnering with France on energy policy and AI.