Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 3 hrs ago
Spain eases some proposed rules for data centres
Spain’s government has revised proposed rules for data centres and sent the new draft to the Council of State for review.
The rules would apply to facilities with electrical capacity of at least 10 megawatts, up from the original one-megawatt threshold.
Data centres would still have to show that 80% of their electricity comes from renewable sources, measured hour by hour.
They may take up to five years to meet that target, with lower renewable-use requirements during the transition.
To use the transition, centres must join a system that can automatically reduce their power and disconnect them when the grid operator requests it.
The industry says the hourly target could raise costs and put investment at risk, while the government says the rules aim to limit pressure on water resources and electricity prices.
The Council of State will review the draft before the government considers it for final approval.
Spain’s government has sent a revised draft decree on data centres to the Council of State for review.
The rules would apply to data centres with contracted power above 10 megawatts, up from the 1-megawatt threshold in the first draft.
The draft keeps the requirement for data centres to match 80% of their electricity use with renewable power on an hourly basis.
It offers new facilities a five-year transition period to meet some requirements, if they agree to be disconnected when the electricity system needs it.
Data-centre companies say the hourly requirement could make projects too costly, while the government says the rules aim to protect electricity prices and water resources.
- Who
- Spain’s government, including the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, is proposing the rules. Data-centre companies are affected.
- What
- A revised draft decree would regulate data centres’ energy, environmental and digital-sovereignty requirements.
- When
- The revised draft was sent to the Council of State on 26 October 2026.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- The government says the rules aim to prevent data-centre development from raising electricity bills or putting pressure on water resources.
Spanish government
Data-centre sector
Hourly renewable-power requirement
Spanish government
The government retains the requirement to match 80% of electricity use with renewable power hour by hour.
Data-centre sector
The sector says hourly matching is difficult and costly, particularly at night, and could make projects unviable.
Transition-period conditions
Spanish government
The government offers a five-year transition, with lower renewable-use thresholds at first, if facilities join the automatic power-reduction system.
Data-centre sector
The sector says the hourly requirement remains difficult even at lower percentages, and required disconnections could force centres to use diesel generators.
The government sent its revised draft decree to the Council of State after examining more than 600 submissions and receiving a report from the CNMC.
The government hopes to secure final approval before the general election date cited in the articles.
- New threshold
- More than 10 megawatts of contracted power
- General renewable requirement
- 80% of electricity use matched with renewable power hour by hour
- Transition period
- Up to five years, through 2031
- Initial transition threshold
- 60% renewable consumption during peak hours through 31 December 2028
- Next transition threshold
- From 2029, 70% during peak hours and 60% during off-peak hours
- Review body
- Council of State
4 sources
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El Gobierno da cinco años a los centros de datos para cumplir con las exigencias más duras
What people are saying
If the new demand that arrives puts pressure on the system, the first to be disconnected will not be the traditional industry we already had nor household consumers, but the data centre.