El Gobierno suaviza las exigencias de renovables a los centros de datos

The Spanish government has softened its renewable energy demands on data centers in a new version of a draft decree, but still retains some of the most controversial requirements that could render new investments unfeasible. The government has submitted the updated draft to the Council of State, disappointing the sector, which had anticipated a substantive softening of the contentious measures, particularly those proposed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, led by Sara Aagesen.

However, the revised version, while containing changes that ostensibly soften the requirements, still maintains the most controversial measures from the initial draft, potentially making the development of data centers in Spain unviable in the future. According to Spain DC, the industry association promoting data center projects, up to 67 billion euros in investments were committed between 2026 and 2030.

If this decree were to be applied, up to 90% of those investments could be at risk of relocation to other countries like Portugal or France. Although industry professionals have yet to thoroughly study the new text, early assessments suggest that it still maintains the most difficult and expensive compliance requirements. The primary issue is the hourly correlation, mandating that data centers must rely on renewable energy for at least 80% of their consumption, but verified hour by hour.

This measure is particularly challenging because it requires over-provisioning of renewable energy supply and the installation of batteries to ensure supply around the clock, driving up project costs and making them unviable for many. The updated draft still requires hourly correlation, despite the lower percentage, which still demands data center operators to over-provision their electrical supply and design it to cover the worst hour, typically at night.

Additionally, these data centers must inevitably join a Power Reduction Automatic System (SRAP), which can automatically disconnect the system in case of need, potentially contradicting the need for diesel generators to run frequently due to grid issues, which not only emit CO2 but are also noisy, a concern for urban data centers surrounded by residential areas.

The decision to send the text to the Council of State demonstrates the government's commitment to fulfilling its promise to approve the decree before the upcoming general elections on November 29, as indicated by the Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López, although there is no apparent urgency in regulating data centers in Spain.

Among the changes that soften the draft decree's demands -though insufficient according to data center promoters- is the application now starting from data centers consuming 10 MW, as opposed to the initial 1 MW threshold, which would exempt smaller data centers primarily serving SMEs from this restrictive regulation. The regulation has also extended the period of renewable energy plant age required to supply these centers, from 18 to 36 months, but industry members argue that there is no logical reason not to utilize the energy from older, larger plants beyond 36 months, which in many cases are already providing renewable energy due to lack of demand.