Omar El Sayed escribió el artículo.
The Spanish government has submitted a revised draft Royal Decree to the Council of State to regulate data centers, introducing a transition period and adjusting renewable energy requirements following more than 600 public allegations and warnings from the National Markets and Competition Commission, eldiario.es reported.
Under the updated text, data processing centers with a power capacity of 10 megawatts or more—raising the threshold from an initial proposal of 1 megawatt—will remain obligated to consume predominantly clean energy until the national energy mix reaches 90% renewables. Facilities can meet this mandate through self-consumption or long-term power purchase agreements. However, rather than facing the strict requirement to prove an 80% hourly renewable consumption rate from the outset, developers may now choose a transitional window of up to five years.
Renewable Mandates Rise to 70% by 2029
Until December 31, 2028, facilities availing themselves of the transitional framework must source 60% of their electricity from renewables exclusively during peak hours for their voltage level. From January 1, 2029, through the end of the transition period, that obligation rises to 70% covering both peak and flat hours. Facilities opting for this flexibility must participate in the Automatic Power Reduction System, an established mechanism managed by Red Eléctrica de España designed to disconnect or curtail power during grid congestions or emergencies. eldiario.es noted that participating data centers will be the first category of installations disconnected automatically without financial compensation.
Industry stakeholders remain dissatisfied with the adjustments. Spain DC, the sector’s business association, cautioned that maintaining hourly correlation requirements—even at lower transitional percentages—forces developers to oversize renewable generation and deploy costly battery storage to cover overnight periods when solar output drops. According to expansion.com, the association warns that up to 90% of the 67 billion euros in investments committed between 2026 and 2030 face potential relocation to neighboring markets like France or Portugal.
Ministry Relaxes Energy Efficiency Indicators
In the case of energy efficiency, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge will establish a methodology that requires the application of the most efficient technology based on the different climatic zones of the country to guarantee minimum water consumption in all cases. The Power Usage Effectiveness indicator, which measures the energy efficiency of a data center, has relaxed slightly, moving from 1.15 to 1.25. Sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge considered that the new text maintains ambition and key elements of the proposal submitted for public information to prevent adverse effects that uncontrolled development of installations would produce on water resources and electricity prices, while introducing technical improvements.
Government Seeks Decree Approval Before November Elections
The executive branch is pushing to secure approval for the decree before the upcoming elections on November 29. If the Council of State’s advisory opinion is not finalized in time, the administration may proceed after the vote while acting in a caretaker capacity, which would require an additional report from the State Legal Service justifying the measure on grounds of general interest, as reported by eldiario.es.
The regulatory overhaul also relaxes certain operational parameters. The window of acceptable antiquity for renewable generation plants linked to a data center expands from 18 months to 36 months, with photovoltaic installations exempted from time limits entirely.
