TL;DR

  • Power availability is now the primary constraint on data center growth, shifting site selection toward regions where energy access, interconnection, and permitting align with deployment timelines.
  • Operators are adapting strategies through hybrid energy sourcing, long-term power purchase agreements, and closer coordination with utilities to secure reliable capacity.
  • ESG has become central to investment decisions, with capital increasingly tied to sustainability, energy efficiency, and alignment with community and regulatory expectations.
  • Circular design, renewable integration, and high-density infrastructure optimization are emerging as key approaches to improve performance, reduce waste, and support long-term scalability.

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With power availability tightening across key markets, Datacloud Energy & ESG 2026 focused squarely on the practical realities shaping data center growth. Held March 25–26, 2026 in Brussels, the event brought together operators, utilities, investors, and policymakers to examine how energy constraints, sustainability expectations, and regulatory frameworks are influencing development timelines and long-term strategy.

Discussions throughout the two-day program reflected an industry adjusting to a new set of constraints. The rapid rise of AI workloads continues to drive demand for capacity, but access to reliable power is emerging as the primary limiting factor. Rather than expanding wherever land is available, operators are increasingly prioritizing locations where energy procurement, grid interconnection, and permitting processes can align with deployment schedules.

Sessions featuring Bruce Owen, President of Global Data Centers at Equinix, explored how operators are adapting expansion strategies to reflect these realities. The shift toward hybrid energy sourcing, including long-term power purchase agreements and on-site generation, is becoming more common as companies look to secure capacity while managing risk tied to grid availability.

The role of utilities and infrastructure planning was another key focus. John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, addressed the growing pressure on transmission and distribution networks as data center demand accelerates. His remarks highlighted the need for earlier engagement between developers and utilities, as well as increased investment in grid modernization to support large-scale digital infrastructure projects.

From an investment standpoint, ESG considerations are now embedded in how projects are evaluated and financed. Alec Fedorov, Managing Director at ICG, noted that capital allocation is increasingly tied to a project’s ability to demonstrate long-term sustainability, efficient energy usage, and alignment with community priorities. Environmental impact and energy sourcing are no longer secondary factors, but central to investment decisions.

Circularity and operational performance were also key themes. During the panel on building more efficient, circular data centers, Fabiola Bordino, Chief Sustainability Officer at TTSP-HWP, focused on how circular design principles can improve power usage, cooling performance, predictive operations, and scalability. The discussion explored practical steps to embed circularity from design through end-of-life, including a three-pillar approach to sustainability and energy efficiency. Panelists also examined the ROI of circularity, highlighting reduced waste, improved resource utilization, and longer-term infrastructure value.

Design strategies are also evolving in response to higher-density workloads. Thomas Meier, CEO of Maincubes, discussed how operators are optimizing power distribution and cooling to increase compute output per megawatt, reflecting a broader shift toward performance-driven infrastructure rather than footprint expansion.

Adding a broader perspective, Dr. Nina Skorupska, CEO of the Renewable Energy Association, emphasized the importance of integrating renewable energy into the data center ecosystem while addressing challenges related to intermittency and storage. Her comments reinforced the need for a more coordinated approach across energy providers, infrastructure developers, and policymakers, particularly as energy strategy becomes a defining factor in how and where new data center capacity is deployed.

To learn more about upcoming Datacloud events and industry insights, visit the Datacloud event series.