Data centre regulation in Spain
Our tracker lists 7 rules for building and running a data centre in Spain, national and EU, and 3 of them are in force.
Each comes with its status, who it applies to and the next date that matters. When a rule here changes, the change is logged below with its date.
- 3 of 7rules that apply, in forceRegulation tracker, updated 19 Oct 2026
- 4not yet in forceproposed, adopted or in scrutiny
- 14 Dec 2026next date, EURegulation tracker, updated 19 Oct 2026
Rules that apply in Spain
National rules first, then the EU rules every member state applies. Status as on the tracker.
| Rule | Level | Status | Applies to | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft Royal Decree on data centre sustainability, resilience and digital sovereignty, public hearing 27 Aug to 10 Sep 2026 | National | Draft, hearing closed, not in force | Grid applicants, pending applications included; new and existing sites for reporting. Data centres ≥1 MW access power seeking grid permits; reporting duty at ≥500 kW IT power | No approval date published; in force 20 days after Official State Gazette publication |
| EED reporting, Article 12 and Delegated Regulation 2024/1364 | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres ≥500 kW installed IT power | 15 May 2027, next annual report |
| EED waste heat, Article 26(6) | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres >1 MW total rated energy input | Ongoing duty |
| EED energy management systems, Article 11 | EU | In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached | Enterprises, including data-centre operators, with average annual energy consumption above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) over the previous three years, all energy carriers together | 11 October 2027, certified energy management system in place |
| EU rating scheme, delegated regulation adopted 21 Sep 2026 | EU | Adopted, in Parliament and Council scrutiny | New and existing sites. Same ≥500 kW reporting population | In force 20 days after Official Journal publication, if not objected to |
| EU minimum performance standards | EU | Consultation open | Not yet defined | 14 December 2026, consultation closes |
| Cloud and AI Development Act, COM(2026) 502 | EU | Proposal, with Parliament and Council | Cloud and AI infrastructure providers broadly | No fixed date |
Spain in detail
What the national rules say, with the legal texts.
Spain has a draft Royal Decree, not adopted, on sustainability, resilience and digital sovereignty requirements for data centres. The public hearing ran from 27 August to 10 September 2026. As drafted, it applies to data centres with at least 1 MW of access power that seek grid access and connection permits, including applications already filed but not yet granted. They must reach class A on the EU scale, set for now at a PUE of 1.15 or lower and a WUE of 0.1 or lower. They must also pass one of two renewable tests. In the general case, self-generation or renewable power purchase agreements from recently commissioned plants cover 80% of consumption, and renewable output matches at least 80% of consumption in each hour. Where the national renewable share exceeds 90%, a cap on the hours a site may draw from the grid applies instead. Data centres with 500 kW of IT power or more would also report energy and water data to the ministry each year, for publication. The decree would enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official State Gazette. No approval date is published.
Dates to watch
The next dates for Spain and the EU, soonest first.
- 14 Dec 2026The EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes
- 15 May 2027EU database dueevery year
- 11 Oct 2027EU deadline under Article 11 of the Energy Efficiency Directive for a certified energy management system at enterprises above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) of annual energy consumption
Formal refusals and bans since 2025
Verified decisions only.
Decisions on single sites
- 11 Feb 2026 Madrid Grid access refused at two local substationsOverturned by the energy regulator, Jun 2026; new capacity studies ordered
- 10 Feb 2026 Valdemoro, near Madrid Grid access refused at the transmission substationSet aside by the energy regulator, Jul 2026; the operator must re-evaluate
- 3 Nov 2025 Valle de Elorz, Navarre Grid access refused at the local substationPartly overturned by the energy regulator, May 2026; a smaller firm capacity to be offered
- 7 Apr 2025 Meco, near Madrid Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Feb 2026
- 14 Feb 2025 Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Oct 2025; operator to say whether a higher-voltage connection is possible
- 13 Feb 2025 Leioa, near Bilbao Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Oct 2025
- 13 Feb 2025 Zamudio, near Bilbao Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Oct 2025
- 7 Feb 2025 Abanto, Bizkaia Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Jul 2025; operator to say whether a higher-voltage connection is possible
- 27 Jan 2025 San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa Grid access refused at two local substationsUpheld by the energy regulator, Jun 2025; a higher-voltage connection point to be offered
- 23 Jan 2025 Murcia Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Jul 2025; operator to say whether a higher-voltage connection is possible
- 13 Jan 2025 León Grid access refused at the local substationUpheld by the energy regulator, Apr 2025
Decisions from 1 Jan 2025; statuses checked 21 Oct 2026.
What changed
The latest changes to these rules on the tracker, newest first.
- 18 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: EED energy management systems, Article 11 (In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached).
Questions
Which rules apply to a data centre in Spain?
Our tracker lists 7 rules for building and running a data centre in Spain, national and EU, and 3 of them are in force.
What is the next date for data centre rules in Spain?
The next date is 14 Dec 2026: the EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes.
Sources
From the European data-centre regulation tracker, which cites the legal text for every rule. Data-centre market data for Spain.
Not legal advice. Confirm each duty against the text itself.