Page 23 - European Energy Innovation magazine - spring 2023 edition

Spring 2023 European Energy Innovation
DIGITALISATION 23

The Commission will work with transition to a smart and sustainable Plans provide a means for Member
the NIS Cooperation Group, ENISA, energy system. States to channel funding into the
and other stakeholders to identify digitalization of the energy sector.
ICT services and products that The Horizon Europe 2021-2027
may be subject to coordinated risk programme will aid in enhancing In conclusion, the digitalisation of
assessments. Particular attention will interoperability, involving consumers the European energy system is a
be given to risks in the renewable in the new energy market, and crucial step in the transition to a
energy and grid supply chain, piloting energy data spaces as well more sustainable and secure energy
including offshore wind. as support for the digital twin of the system. The EU's action plan on the
electricity grid. The Digital Europe digitalisation of the energy sector
What is the Commission Programme will play a crucial role is an important next step in this
proposing to address the energy in the deployment of a common process and will help to drive the
consumption of the information European energy data space and integration of digital technologies into
and communication technology support the European Cybersecurity the energy sector. This will support
(ICT) sector? Competence Center and Network the growth of renewable energy
The ICT sector is projected to of National Coordination Centers. production, increase the efficiency of
consume 13% of the world's Connecting Europe Facility grants can the energy system, and promote the
electricity by 2030, contributing be used for cross-border smart grid development of innovative solutions
3-5% of global carbon emissions. To projects of common interest (PCIs). that can help to reduce the costs of
reduce energy demand and reach National Recovery and Resilience energy production and consumption. l
climate neutrality, the EU is taking
steps to make ICT products more
energy efficient and environmentally
friendly. The Commission is extending
the Eco-design for Sustainable
Products Regulation to cover new ICT
products and developing an energy
label for computers, incentivizing
manufacturers to create products
that are energy efficient, reparable,
reusable, and recyclable.

Data centres, seen as critical
infrastructure, accounted for 2.7%
of electricity demand in 2018
and will reach 3.2 % by 2030 if
development continues along the
current trajectory. The Commission
is acting by introducing energy
consumption monitoring and
reporting requirements in the Energy
Efficiency Directive, developing an
environmental labelling scheme for
data centres, exploring separate
reporting lines for indirect greenhouse
gas emissions from cloud computing
and data centre services, and
improving the operating conditions
of servers and data storage products
through revised Eco-design rules.
What funding options will be
provided to achieve the objectives
outlined in the plan?
The EU has several funding
instruments to accelerate the twin

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