EU wants households to cut electricity use as demand from industry and AI soars

BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants households to use less energy at peak times in preparation for an explosion of power demand from artificial intelligence data centers and electrification of the economy.

The EU executive said Wednesday it will propose a new law later this year to accelerate the roll out of AI-powered smart meters, which give consumers "greater control over when they use electricity, allowing them to shift consumption to cheaper hours and lower their bills."

The hope is this will prompt households to cut their electricity use at evening hours when demand is highest, keeping prices lower and leaving more power available for industry, transport and energy-hungry computers that perform advanced AI functions.