El 80% de la energía de los 'data center' deberá ser renovable

The Spanish government is taking proactive steps to anticipate the emergence of the data center sector in the country and is currently working on regulations to govern its activity. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, in collaboration with the Ministries of Economy and Digital Transformation, will soon initiate the public hearing process on a draft decree project aimed at setting energy, environmental, resilience, and digital sovereignty requirements for data centers in Spain, according to sources familiar with the matter.

A key aspect of the energy regulation is the government's mandate that 80% of a data center's consumption must come from renewable sources. Furthermore, the consumption must be additional, meaning that for every megawatt a data center uses, a new megawatt of renewable energy must have been installed in the previous 18 months, either through on-site generation or through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).

Another requirement is to validate these sourcing requirements on an hourly basis, ensuring that the 80% of electrical consumption comes from renewable sources present at the exact time of consumption. The primary goal of this measure is to prevent the surge in electrical demand from necessitating a shift to natural gas generation if renewable energy growth does not keep pace.

This scenario could lead to higher electricity costs for consumers, as has been observed in countries like the United States and Ireland. In addition to environmental considerations, the proposal also addresses resilience and digital sovereignty. The draft decree requires data center operators in Spain to be located within the European Union, and all data, metadata, and records managed by each center must remain within the community.

The control over access from third-party countries will be reinforced, and data centers hosting information from public administrations or potentially affecting national security will be barred from supplying such data to third countries. Regarding equipment used in these facilities and potential restrictions on technology providers like Huawei, the draft decree will incorporate the provisions of the European Union's Cybersecurity Act (Cybersecurity Act or CSA).

Non-compliance with the imposed requirements will result in increasing economic penalties and potential loss of access to the electricity grid. Projects already in progress will have a three to six-month window to adapt to the new regulations. If some developments become unfeasible due to the stringent requirements, exit clauses will be available to allow the relinquishment of access and connection rights.

The government emphasizes that Spain remains an attractive destination for data center investments and highlights that they have been working with sector companies and associations for months to refine the regulatory proposal. The Spanish Association of Data Centers (SpainDC) and AMETIC are scheduled to meet with the government this Wednesday to discuss the details of the regulatory proposal.

Investments of nearly €67 billion are projected for the sector, with an annual impact of €7.3 billion on GDP and over 16,000 job opportunities by 2030. The sector's expansion is driven by the cloud, increased digitalization, and especially the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Spain has been a focal point in recent years for major technology companies' investments, including Amazon's €33.7 billion commitment to cloud region expansion by 2035, Microsoft's presence in Aragon, Madrid, and Madrid, and Google's projects in Madrid and Málaga.