Data centers and Bitcoin mining consume massive amounts of electricity, respectively 448 TWh globally in 2025 and approximately 138 TWh annualized for Bitcoin according to the Cambridge CBECI index, while generating enormous quantities of free waste heat. Concrete initiatives already exist: Stockholm has been recovering this heat since 1979, the Val d’Europe district has been heating business parks since 2012, and French startup Hestiia developed radiators equipped with recycled mining chips. In France, the DDADUE law enacted in October 2025 requires data centers over 1 MW to recover at least 20% of their waste heat, with fines up to 50,000 euros. The main obstacle is not technical but political: the lack of urban heating networks in most areas where these facilities are located, as illustrated by the Corbeil-Essonnes project (125 MW) which remains unconnected to date.
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