The Association of Spanish Cloud Services and Data Center Providers (APECDATA) submitted comments to the draft Royal Decree from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) aimed at regulating the energy, environmental, resilience, and digital sovereignty requirements of data centers in Spain. The government intends to regulate the rapid growth of these infrastructures, which already total more than 6 GW of capacity granted on the transmission network since the end of 2023, plus another 6 GW on distribution networks since 2020.
APECDATA's main proposal is to raise from 1 MW to 5 MW the threshold from which certain obligations would apply to data centers. The association argues that the current 1 MW requirement creates a disproportionate burden on smaller data centers, which have a reduced impact on the electrical system, compared to large foreign companies.
APECDATA also contests the requirement that data centers guarantee, through new renewable energy generation, the use of at least 80% of electricity from renewable sources each hour. The association argues that this hourly correlation is difficult to meet and suggests that the calculation be made based on annual equivalent hours, considering the nuances of renewable energy generation.
Additionally, the association addressed the need to harmonize energy and water efficiency criteria with the climatic and hydraulic realities of each facility, and highlighted the importance of greater legal clarity and coordination between the new regulation and other standards under discussion that affect the sector, promoting a favorable environment for investment and innovation in Spain.
