AI4ES ELSA Lab

The transition to a sustainable energy system brings practical constraints. Grid capacity is under pressure, electricity demand continues to grow, and energy systems rely on data that is often fragmented or incomplete. AI can help coordinate, predict, and optimize. At the same time, its use raises questions about responsibility, regulation, and impact.

The AI4ES lab brings these perspectives together. It focuses on how AI can support the energy system in ways that are technically sound, legally compliant, and socially responsible.

Purpose of the lab

The AI4ES lab develops and studies responsible AI applications for the energy sector. The central question is how AI can be applied in a way that balances innovation with legal, ethical, environmental, economic, and social considerations.

The lab works on two connected tracks:

• AI for sustainability: using AI to improve energy systems, for example through forecasting, coordination, and smarter use of infrastructure
• Sustainability of AI: reducing the environmental footprint and unintended effects of AI itself

This leads to practical outputs. The lab develops prototypes, policy guidance, and regulatory approaches that help organizations in the energy chain apply AI responsibly. It also studies risks, such as privacy violations, cybersecurity threats, unclear data ownership, and the environmental impact of data infrastructure.

A key outcome is the AI4ES Navigator: a set of tools, use cases, and guidelines that support decision-making around AI in energy systems. These are grounded in real projects and developed together with stakeholders.

How the lab works

AI4ES follows a transdisciplinary approach. Energy systems and AI have developed separately, while their integration raises new challenges. The lab connects expertise from technology, law, governance, and business to address these challenges early and from multiple perspectives.

Research is closely linked to practice. Use cases with partners provide concrete situations, lessons learned, and scenarios that inform both technical development and regulatory thinking.

The role of JADS

JADS contributes to the lab through its expertise in data science and responsible AI, with a specific focus on digital twins for sustainability.

JADS researchers develop data-driven simulation environments that allow organizations to explore the impact of AI in energy systems before deployment. These digital twins help test scenarios, assess risks, and support better-informed decisions about implementation.

By combining technical modeling with attention to societal and regulatory context, JADS helps ensure that AI solutions are not only effective, but also responsible and applicable in real-world settings.

Partners

The AI4ES lab is led by the University of Twente and brings together a broad consortium of academic, industry, and public partners:

Coolgradient B.V. (Lucend), Enexis, &Flux B.V., CONNECTR, NLdigital, Eurofiber, Endona / Escozon U.A., Electricity Campus, AI Hub Oost-Nederland, FME, Brainport Development N.V., Koninklijke KPN N.V., Elferink & Kortier Advocaten, Stadtwerke Gronau GmbH, University of Twente, and JADS.

The lab also collaborates with other ELSA labs to exchange knowledge and strengthen the overall quality of responsible AI research in the Netherlands.