30 Building Infrastructure at Scale and Pace Unattributed quote While there is need to accelerate the speed of permitting (such as US Energy Secretary Chris Wright urging FERC to limit data center grid connection review periods, which typically take years, to 60 days) regulation to protect consumers and improve the planning process is required. Proposed rules include allowing customers to file joint, co-located load and generation interconnection requests, significantly reducing study times and grid upgrade costs, and reducing the time needed for additional generation and power to come online. Policymakers in the US and EU are debating frameworks to balance AI growth with grid reliability. Data centers could use 9% of US electricity by 2030, driving calls for efficiency standards and grid-aware computing. The EU AI Act requires GPAI providers to report energy consumption and compute resources in technical documentation. Obligations apply from Aug 2025, with full compliance by Aug 2027, aiming to curb rising AI energy demand and align with sustainability goals. Abu Dhabi’s Department of Energy and MBZUAI signed an MoU to integrate AI into energy planning and regulatory innovation, supporting Net Zero 2050, focused on AI- enabled forecasting, demand modelling, and smart infrastructure planning. Learning from the lessons of the last year and building from the actions of the previous two ENACT Majlises we have the opportunity to deliver the next wave of data centers more efficiently to maximize their economic benefits. Outside of the US, Europe and China, data center capacity will grow by almost 700%, equivalent to building twice all the existing capacity in six years and is forecast to face a shortfall of 2.3 million skilled workers. As a new energy-intense sector, data centers can be the solution for bringing new capital to energy markets and concentrated demand to enable investment in highly capital-intense power generation projects such as gas turbines, nuclear fission, geothermal and even fusion. Data centers will need to be sited around regional archetypes based around access to abundant low-cost energy, talent and resources able not just to consume but also to drive build out, integrated value such as water, cooling and heating (into residential, agriculture etc) and availability of capital. Collaboration will be required across governments and multiple sector champions, to develop a set of integrated transition policies that links AI and Energy planning with broader national goals, tailored to each country’s context based on: 1. Energy infrastructure maturity 2. AI ecosystem capability (access to energy, water & GPUs) 3. Technical maturity and talent to harvest the potential 4. Capital market accessibility Need for Regulation Delivering the next wave of data centers The digital revolution rests on physical foundations — molecules, metals, and grids. Every chip and data center needs energy, and that makes energy the most important geopolitical factor in the AI age.