The rise of artificial intelligence and cloud services has fueled the construction of data centers worldwide, and Spain is no exception. However, this growth also poses significant challenges in terms of energy consumption, water usage, and data security. To address this situation, the Ministry for Ecological Transition has opened a public consultation period for a draft royal decree that will establish new obligations for these infrastructures.
The proposal, which will be open for public comment until September 4, will primarily affect data centers with a network access capacity of 1 megawatt or more. Key measures include strict energy and water efficiency limits, a requirement that a significant portion of electricity consumption come from new renewable generation, and specific conditions to guarantee the digital sovereignty of public sector data.
Efficiency and sustainability requirements
The draft royal decree establishes that new data centers must comply with a maximum PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1,15 during the transition period, until the European energy labeling system comes into effect. PUE measures the ratio between the total energy consumed and the energy delivered to the computing equipment, so a value close to 1 indicates high efficiency. Furthermore, a maximum WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) of 0,1 is set for water use in data centers , a key indicator in water-stressed regions.
Another new requirement is that at least 80% of electricity consumption be linked to new renewable generation, with criteria of additionality and time-of-use correlation. This means that facilities must contract for renewable energy generated during the same hours they consume it, thus preventing their demand from increasing the need for fossil fuel backup. The government aims to ensure that digital expansion does not compromise the electrification of other sectors.
Impact on the sector and next steps
The measure comes at a time of strong growth in the sector. According to data included in the project report, more than 12 GW of access capacity has been granted to data centers in Spain since 2020, a figure far exceeding initial forecasts. Globally, energy demand for these facilities is increasing rapidly, and companies like Eaton are developing integrated electrical and thermal management infrastructure solutions for data centers to improve efficiency.
Furthermore, the regulation includes digital sovereignty requirements for data centers hosting public sector data, which must be processed and stored exclusively within the European Union. Failure to comply with these obligations could result in surcharges on electricity tariffs and even the loss of grid access permits.
The public consultation period will remain open until September 4, 2026, and after the review of the comments, the text may be modified before its final approval. With this initiative, Spain is ahead of European regulations and seeks to reconcile the rise of artificial intelligence with the energy transition and the protection of natural resources.
