Azcón: "El Gobierno amenaza proyectos de centros de datos que ya están en marcha"

President of Aragon, Jorge Azcán, harshly criticized the government's proposed legislation on data centers, a key driver of investment in the region over recent years. Despite Europe working on a common framework to improve efficiency and sustainability of data centers, the Spanish government's draft decrees impose far more stringent requirements that render existing projects unfeasible, Azcán stated during the second edition of the Data Centers Expansion Encounter in Zaragoza.

He highlighted that Europe aims for an energy efficiency objective 25% lower than what Spain intends to enforce, and fails to establish a minimum percentage of renewable energy coverage or guarantees the hourly guarantee of such coverage. These proposed rules threaten the viability of numerous projects already underway, jeopardizing the creation of thousands of jobs tied to the digital economy.

The Spanish government's decree mandates that data centers achieve at least an 80% renewable energy consumption, and introduces a principle of additivity, where each new megavolt-ampere consumed must be accompanied by an additional megavolt-ampere of renewable generation installed within 18 months prior to the facility's operation.

Azcán argued that the national executive is attempting to impose these new requirements on projects that have been planned and developed over years, when it is impossible to fulfill such demands within such a short timeframe. He emphasized that it's not an either-or situation between investment and sustainability, but rather a way to make both possible simultaneously.

Azcán also criticized the national executive for implementing these changes after Aragon's efforts to attract these investments, leaving behind a sense of uncertainty and lack of legal security. He stressed that it is unjust to change the rules of the game after the race has already started. The government's new regulation would come at a time when Aragon is poised to capitalize on a historic opportunity thanks to the arrival of new investments.

In this regard, Azcán noted that in the last three years, Aragon has attracted around 70,000 million euros in digital economy and data center-related investments, which could generate over 143,000 jobs during construction and around 9,000 jobs during the operational phase, including highly skilled employment. Additionally, the region has recently launched the QTS project, which entails a total investment of 13.471 million euros.

The president stressed that the investments are not just about large multinationals, but also about building an Aragon-centric ecosystem around these investments, fully nourished by local talent. He highlighted the region's sustainability in terms of energy production, noting that Aragon generates double the energy it consumes and 83% of its energy comes from renewable sources.

This is one of Aragon's greatest assets, and it necessitates the ability to harness these resources. However, the real challenge lies in ensuring sufficient capacity in the electrical grid, which is why Aragon has been calling on the Spanish government to do its part for years. The question is not whether data centers will exist, but rather where they will be located and which territories will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Aragón wants to be part of this, seeking investments that generate employment, involve local companies, and translate into better public services, more opportunities, and greater prosperity for Aragonese citizens. Furthermore, Azcán explained that Aragon has been advocating for renewable energies and has made progress in efficiency, with companies increasingly incorporating solutions to reduce water consumption and improve their installations, which do not conflict with high environmental standards.

He defended a balanced and proportionate regulation that allows for the compatibility of two non-contradictory objectives: the development of data centers and environmental sustainability.