Spain softens data-center regulations, raising capacity threshold and extending renewable deadlines

In response to a wave of announced data-center investments, Spain’s energy ministry unveiled a softened draft decree on Monday. The new proposal raises the applicability threshold to installations larger than 10 MW, a ten-fold increase from the initial 1 MW cut-off. It also extends the period for matching each megawatt of consumption with renewable generation from 18 to 36 months before a facility begins operating, and removes any deadline for solar power.

While the decree still requires at least 80 % of a centre’s power to be renewable each hour, it introduces a flexible transition phase of up to five years under certain conditions. Officials highlighted Spain’s abundant renewable resources and available land, positioning the country as a leading European destination for AI-driven data-center projects worth tens of billions of euros.