Europe stands at a crossroads. Its push for AI leadership demands massive computing capacity. Yet the facilities that deliver it now threaten the very resources they depend on. Server farms across the EU currently draw about 10 GW in IT load. Projections show that figure climbing to 35 GW by 2030. Electricity consumption tied to these sites makes up roughly 3% of the bloc’s total today. By decade’s end that share could reach 7% to 9%. The numbers come from a fresh policy paper released this week. Power Grids Strain Under Rapid Expansion Grid operators see trouble ahead. Data centers in hubs like Frankfurt, Dublin, Amsterdam, London and Paris already consume huge slices of local supply. In some cities they account for 20% to 30% of electricity demand. New connections face queues stretching seven to 10 years. Some projects sit idle at half capacity while they wait. The European Data Centre Association captured the shift in its State of European Data Centres 2026 report .…