In other words, AI infrastructure is growing nearly six times faster than overall energy demand.<\/p>\n\n
The challenge is no longer just to build high-performance models, but to connect data centers to the power grid quickly enough. According to Catherine MacGregor, the time it takes to bring energy infrastructure online is now becoming a strategic factor just as important as the availability of chips. <\/p>\n\n
Energy Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage<\/h2>\n\n
According to Octave Klaba, the situation puts France in a relatively favorable position.<\/p>\n\n
Thanks to its energy mix, which relies heavily on nuclear power, France offers:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- a more stable power supply;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- more predictable costs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- available connection capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Conversely, several European countries are already facing difficulties in securing new electricity capacity for future data centers.<\/p>\n\n
One of the most striking points concerns Germany. According to Klaba, obtaining a clear answer regarding future connection capacity can already be problematic for some projects. <\/p>\n\n
European digital sovereignty could thus depend more on energy geography than on technological excellence alone.<\/p>\n\n
The European Paradox: Sovereignty or Efficiency?<\/h2>\n\n
One of the most interesting points in the debate concerned European fragmentation.<\/p>\n\n
For OVHcloud, sovereignty often involves deploying infrastructure in many countries to ensure that data remains localized.<\/p>\n\n
Consequence:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- more small data centers;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- fewer economies of scale;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- greater operational complexity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Andr\u00e9 Kudelski was particularly blunt:<\/p>\n\n
\n
“Either Europe thinks on a European scale, or it will remain less competitive.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
His assessment is grim: AI is advancing at a pace that is incompatible with traditional European decision-making cycles. Each additional layer of fragmentation reduces the continent\u2019s ability to compete with the United States or China. <\/p>\n\n
The Illusion of the “Green” Cloud<\/h2>\n\n
The debate also touched on a topic that is rarely discussed: how to accurately measure the carbon footprint of AI.<\/p>\n\n
Octave Klaba criticized the current metrics used by the industry.<\/p>\n\n
According to him, most suppliers focus on:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- operational emissions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- direct electricity consumption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
But many overlook Scope 3<\/strong>, that is, the footprint associated with manufacturing:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- GPUs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- servers;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- theses;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- electronic components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
In other words, a significant portion of the environmental cost of AI is currently not reflected in the indicators highlighted by the market.<\/p>\n\n
This issue is likely to quickly become a key concern for large corporations subject to decarbonization targets.<\/p>\n\n
The Next Metric: CO\u2082 per Token<\/h2>\n\n
Catherine MacGregor’s remarks hinted at a major shift.<\/p>\n\n
Today, companies compare models based on:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- their cost;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- their speed;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- their accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Tomorrow, they could also compare:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- their carbon footprint;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- their emissions per token generated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Engie already plans to require its suppliers to provide not only cost metrics (\u201cFinOps\u201d), but also environmental metrics (\u201cCO\u2082 Ops\u201d).<\/p>\n\n
For those in the AI field, this could become a new selection criterion just as important as technical performance.<\/p>\n\n
Sovereignty is not self-sufficiency<\/h2>\n\n
On the issue of cybersecurity, the discussion was more pragmatic than ideological.<\/p>\n\n
Neither Engie nor Kudelski advocates an approach that involves systematically replacing U.S. models.<\/p>\n\n
The goal is rather:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- avoid any single dependency;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- maintain multiple suppliers;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- be able to switch quickly from one solution to another.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Catherine MacGregor explained, among other things, that Engie provides access to several models within its internal AI Studio, including those from Mistral AI.<\/p>\n\n
The reasoning is simple: sovereignty does not necessarily mean producing everything yourself, but rather retaining the freedom to choose.<\/p>\n\n
Three Visions for Accelerating Europe<\/h2>\n\n
During the final roundtable discussion, the speakers proposed three priorities:<\/p>\n\n
Andr\u00e9 Kudelski<\/h3>\n\n
- \n
- Reserve a greater share of public procurement contracts for European entities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reform the way Europe regulates emerging technologies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Catherine MacGregor<\/h3>\n\n
- \n
- Moving from 27 national regulators to a much more integrated approach.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Build a true European market for energy and AI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Octave Klaba<\/h3>\n\n
- \n
- Continue to invest heavily in energy efficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Develop infrastructure that requires less computing power.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
What This Roundtable Really Reveals<\/h2>\n\n
The debate showed that the question of AI sovereignty is often framed incorrectly.<\/p>\n\n
The problem in Europe is not just a matter of models.<\/p>\n\n
This is a coordination issue between:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- energy;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- cloud;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- cybersecurity;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- infrastructure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
The United States has hyperscalers. China has a centralized national strategy. <\/p>\n\n
Europe, for its part, has considerable strengths\u2014low-carbon energy, industry, research, and companies such as OVHcloud and Mistral AI\u2014but continues to function as a collection of national markets.<\/p>\n\n
Perhaps the most revealing statement from the panel came from Andr\u00e9 Kudelski: \u201cAI moves at the speed of light.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
The question, then, is no longer whether Europe has the necessary technologies. It is whether its infrastructure, regulations, and governance can evolve at the same pace as AI itself. <\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-22-2026-12_46_22-PM-1024x683.png\" "\\"\\"")
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