The International Bar Association (IBA) Power Law Committee Presents Data Centres and the Energy Sector: Emerging Risks and Reliability Challenges

Over the past decade, the electricity consumption of data centres has tripled. The rapid expansion of these facilities, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and crypto mining, is creating unprecedented challenges for the energy sector, in particular for grid operators around the world. Recent incidents in the United States have exposed a critical vulnerability: the sudden, uncoordinated disconnection of large-scale data centres from the grid, which can cause dangerous imbalances and even trigger cascading blackouts. Beyond these risks, many markets also face the challenge of insufficient infrastructure, a lack of generation capacity and more from limitations in interconnecting to the transmission grid.

This webinar will explore the intersection between the rapidly growing data centre sector and energy sector regulation. It will examine real-world case studies, the regulatory issues at stake and potential solutions to ensure that this vital digital infrastructure can coexist with secure, stable power systems.