The Spanish Government softens its draft data center rules and raises the threshold from 1 to 10 MW
IA en un minuto newsroom · Editor: Jon Elgezabal
In 30 seconds
The Government has revised its draft decree on data centers after hearing from the industry. The rules would apply from 10 MW rather than 1 MW, as in August, and the goal of renewables for 80% of each hour's supply still stands. If it goes ahead, an operator that breaks it could be cut off from the grid, and projects already approved would have six months to adjust.
The Spanish Government has softened the draft decree on data centers that it presented in late August. According to Reuters, as reported by Xataka, the main change is the power threshold: the rules would apply to facilities above 10 MW, rather than above 1 MW as the first text proposed. Xataka says the industry had voiced concern about Spain's competitiveness as a destination for digital infrastructure investment.
The goal of covering at least 80% of the electricity supply in every hour of operation with renewables remains, but there would be a transition period of up to five years for projects that cannot meet it right away. When The Next Web described the August draft, it noted that losing the grid connection was the consequence of failing to meet that requirement.
If the rules are approved, an operator that breaches them will be penalized and could be disconnected from the power grid. The rules would affect facilities that are not yet connected to the grid. Projects that have already been approved and are going through their operating permits would have six months to adapt.
According to Xataka, the draft also includes that operators be established in the European Union and that the data and metadata they handle stay within it, with access from third countries controlled and stricter controls for data from public bodies or tied to national security. It is still a proposal pending approval.
Why it matters · analysis and opinion
The change shows how AI-related regulation gets adjusted when investment is at stake: the Government gives way on scope, not on the goal. With the higher threshold, smaller facilities would fall outside the rules, while large projects remain subject to the hourly renewables requirement and the risk of losing their connection. For developers, the transition period gives some room, but the deadline for projects already approved is short. The essential piece is missing: the text is not approved and may change again. Anyone buying data center capacity in Spain should treat these conditions as provisional and ask their provider how it plans to meet them.
Source: Xataka · Written with the help of AI: how we make the news
