Spanish data centre decree draws fire from Andalusia and industry group SpainDC

Decree and projected energy impact

Spain's Government has sent its draft royal decree on sustainability, resilience and digital sovereignty requirements for data centres to the Consejo de Estado, after public hearings. An impact report seen by Europa Press estimates that bringing 10 GW of installed data centre capacity online by 2030, compared with 1 GW, would raise combined-cycle operation by 107%, total variable generation cost by 200% and CO2 emissions by 65%. The ministries that drafted the text warned that an abrupt entry of data centres into the power system could have unwanted consequences for electricity prices and for the emissions tied to the country's energy production mix.

Combined-cycle operation107%

Total variable generation cost200%

CO2 emissions65%

Combined-cycle operation

107 %

Total variable generation cost

200 %

CO2 emissions

65 %

Data from the article text

Andalusia says projects are blocked

José Antonio Nieto, the Andalusian councillor for artificial intelligence, digital development and public administration, criticised the decree on Monday, 9 November, at a media briefing in Seville. He said the conditions set by the Government are higher than those of Europe itself and that they ignore Andalusia's climate, imposing consumption and energy efficiency standards he called absurd.

“We are deeply concerned about the Decree because the conditions are the highest in the world.”

Nieto said 20 data centre projects in Andalusia remain blocked, with planned investment of around 10,000 million euros. He described the decree as a bad decision that leaves the region with another problem, arguing that under it no further data centres could be built in Andalusia. He also said the rules should not stop Spain from having its own energy and digital sovereignty.

Industry responds with a manifesto

SpainDC, the Spanish Association of Data Centres, launched its Manifesto for a digital, competitive and sovereign Spain on Monday, 9 November. The initiative had gathered more than 160 adhesions in less than a week, including APPA Renovables, the Asociación Empresarial Eólica, Anese and Adigital, and it remains open to new signatories. SpainDC warned that some requirements of the decree will compromise strategic investments and reduce Spain's ability to compete for the infrastructure that will support artificial intelligence and the digital economy. The association is asking for a total review of the decree.

SpainDC's president, Emilio Díaz, framed the stakes in these terms:

“Spain has a historic opportunity to become one of the great digital hubs in Europe.”

The association's executive director, Begoña Villacís, argued that Spain cannot talk about digital sovereignty, artificial intelligence and reindustrialisation while placing obstacles in the way of the infrastructure that makes them possible.

Investment at stake and the wait for elections

The SpainDC and Pb7 Research annual report for 2025 estimates that the sector could mobilise 66,900 million euros in investment up to 2030, in a scenario of continued growth. El Confidencial reports that funds, developers and large technology operators are slowing sales and postponing projects while they wait to see whether the decree survives. Industry sources expect the uncertainty to last four to six months, with the 29 November elections as the pivot point. According to the same sources, the Government is expected to approve the decree before those elections despite a critical report from the Consejo de Estado.

Portugal and Amazon as a comparison

El Confidencial reports that Sergio Loureiro, AWS's global vice president of data centre operations, held private meetings in Lisbon with three members of the Portuguese government and praised their plans to simplify rules and speed up procedures. Earlier, in early September, Amazon had urged Spain to align its data centre rules with emerging frameworks and to protect projects already committed. The Partido Popular, according to the same outlet, plans to suspend the decree at the first Council of Ministers and draft a new regulation within six months if it leads a new government.