Organised by the University of Edinburgh, EPICS-UK Centre – Imperial College London, University of Birmingham and Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG)

(Dr Wei Sun, Dr Fei Teng, Prof Sara Walker, Prof Mark O’Malley)

Funded by the UK Energy Demand Research Centre

The rapid expansion of AI-driven data centres is placing unprecedented pressure on energy systems worldwide, exacerbating concerns about sustainability, grid stability, and energy security. The energy demands associated with these centres are outpacing traditional electricity consumption growth, posing significant challenges for energy infrastructure. According to the International Energy Agency, global data centre electricity consumption reached 415 TWh in 2024—equivalent to approximately 132% of the UK’s total electricity use. This upward trend is further driven by national policies, such as the UK government’s ambition to accelerate AI adoption, placing even greater pressure on the energy grid.

This workshop is convened in response to the urgent need to address the rising energy demands driven by AI-intensive data centres, particularly in urban areas where existing energy infrastructure faces significant strain. We are bringing together leading experts from a diverse range of fields, including energy systems, computer science, AI, data centre operations, and advanced hardware design (with a particular focus on AI chips and accelerators). Participants will include representatives from both academia and industry, fostering rich interdisciplinary dialogue.

This workshop aims to explore cutting-edge solutions for managing the surging energy demands of AI-driven data centres, share best practices across sectors, and identify opportunities for joint research and policy initiatives. Key themes to be explored at the workshop include:

  • Managing AI Energy Growth: Developing strategies for integrating AI workloads into existing grids while enhancing system resilience.
  • Fostering Academia-Industry Consensus: Building shared understanding between researchers and industry leaders to align technical innovation with operational feasibility and policy goals.
  • Identifying Challenges and Opportunities: Analysing the geographic mismatch between renewable energy supply and data centre demand, and exploring system-level solutions.
  • Co-Designing Infrastructure: Investigating how AI computing infrastructure and energy systems can be co-designed for long-term efficiency.

Slides and summary notes from the event

AGENDA

08 September 2025
19:00 – Welcome Dinner (Venue: The Builders Arms, 1 Kensington Court Palace, London, W8 5BJ)

09 September 2025 – Imperial College London, EEE Building, Level 4, Room 403

9:00 – 9:30 Coffee
9:30 – 9:40 Introduction to the Workshop
9:40 – 10:55 Session 1: Challenges of Surging Energy Demand in Data Centres

  • 9:40 – 10:00 Talk 1: An introduction to the Energy Demand Research Centre
    Speaker: Prof Sara Walker, Co-director, UK Energy Demand Research Centre
  • 10:00 – 10:20 Talk 2: Operability Challenges with Large Data Centre Load
    Speaker: Dr. Xiaoyao Zhou, Engineering Compliance Manager, UK National Energy System Operator (NESO)
  • 10.20 – 10:40 Talk 3: Opportunities and innovation in connecting data centres on the distribution network – The UK Power Networks experience
    Speaker: Sandy Kelly, System Planning Engineer, UK Power Networks (UKPN)
  • 10:40 – 11:05 Panel discussion

11:05 – 11:15 Coffee Break
11:20 – 12:45 Session 2: Energy-Efficient Data Centres: Architecture and Operations

  • 11:20 -11:40 Talk 4: Taming the Terawatt Tsunami: Systems Pathways to Decarbonise AI Data Centres
    Speaker: Prof. Poh Seng (PS) Lee, Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore
  • 11:40 – 12:00 Talk 5: Reducing the Demand for Power in the Data Center
    Speaker: Mr. Jim Roche, Lenovo
  • 12:00 – 12:20 Talk 6: Building Sustainable Digital Research Infrastructure at Imperial College London
    Speaker: Dr. Andrew Richards, Director of Research Computing Services, Imperial College London
  • 12:20 – 12:45 Panel discussion

12:45 – 13:30 Lunch and Networking
13:30 – 14:35 Session 3: Grid Operation and Flexibility of Data Centers

  • 13:30 – 13:50 Talk 7: And It’s Gone: The Impact of Data Centres on Demand During Voltage Instability
    Speaker: Thomas Priddle, Black & White Engineering
  • 13:50 – 14:10 Talk 8: Data Centres: An Emerging Source of Flexibility for Power Systems
    Speaker: Prof. Meysam Qadrdan, Professor of Energy Networks and Systems, Cardiff University
  • 14:10 – 14:35 Panel discussion

14:35 – 14:50 Coffee Break
14:50 – 17:00 Session 4: Grid Planning and Interconnection with Large-scale Data Centres (HYBRID)

  • 14:50 – 15:10 Talk 9 (Online): Power and AI Initiative at Harvard SEAS
    Speaker: Prof. Le Xie, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering, Harvard University
  • 15:10 – 15:30 Talk 10 (Online): Flexible Data Centers and the Grid: Lower Costs, Higher Emissions?
    Speaker: Prof. Christopher Knittel, MIT, with Juan Senga and Shen Wang
  • 15:30 – 15:50 Talk 11: Large Loads Task Force at Energy Systems Integration Group
    Speaker: Mrs. Julia Matevosyan, Associate Director & Chief Engineer, Energy Systems Integration Group
  • 15:50 – 16:10 Talk 12: Large Scale Data Centre Integration
    Speaker: Dr. Diptargha Chakravorty, Head of Grid Analysis and Planning, Siemens Energy
  • 16:10 – 16:30 Talk 13: Data Center Grid Integration & the Case of Ireland
    Speaker: Eamonn Lannoye, EPRI Europe Managing Director, EPRI
  • 16:30 – 17:00 Panel discussion
  • 17:00 – Wrap-Up Session – Day One

19:00 – Group Dinner (Venue: The Rembrandt Hotel, Palette Restaurant, 11 Thurloe Place, London, SW7 2RS)

10 September 2025 – Imperial College London, EEE Building, Level 4, Room 403

9:00 – 9:30 Coffee
9:30 – 9:40 Recap of the first day
9:40 – 11:20 Session 5: Opportunities of synergising Future Data Centres with low carbon Energy Systems

  • 9:40 – 10:00 Talk 14: Powering the AI Revolution: Challenges for Sustainable Data Center Growth
    Speaker: Mr. Loren Long, Managing Director, Colombia Holdings Ltd.
  • 10:00 – 10:10 Talk 15: Quantum Computing: The Next Disruption in Energy Demand
    Speaker: Mr. Simon Allen, Ambassador, Nomad Futurist Foundation
  • 10:10 – 10:30 Talk 16: Flexible Data Centre Energy Management Towards Sustainable Computing
    Speaker: Prof. Zhaohao Ding, North China Electric Power University
  • 10:30 – 10:50 Talk 17: What is hype and what is real: The energy challenges of AI Data Centres
    Speaker: Prof. Mark O’Malley (Member of NAE), Imperial College London
  • 10:50 – 11:20 Panel discussion

11:20 – 11:40 Coffee Break
11:40 – 13:00 Group Discussion
13:00 – Closing Remarks, Lunch and Networking
14:00 onwards – Continuation of discussions including possible initiatives – Room 909B

Getting here

Registration is now closed. Add event to calendar
See all events