The European Commission has proposed a common EU rating scheme for data centres to publish clearer information about their energy and water use and how they interact with the power grid.
The scheme would apply to individual data centres with an IT capacity above 500 kW, covering factors such as resource use and measures including reuse of waste heat, on-site clean electricity generation and flexibility — the ability to adjust electricity consumption when grid conditions change, the European Commission said in a statement on Monday.
Reusing around half of all waste heat from European data centres would be equivalent to the total heating demand of about 4 million households in Europe.
Labels expected from 2027
The proposed rules take the form of a delegated regulation and will face a two-month scrutiny period by the European Parliament and the Council before entering into force, the Commission said.
The first sustainability labels for individual data centres are expected to be displayed in 2027, with a first review of the scheme planned by the end of 2028.
Alongside the rating scheme, the Commission has launched a call for evidence and public consultation on minimum performance standards for data centres operating in Europe, with the consultation due to close on 14 December 2026.
Data centres consumed around 68 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in the EU in 2024, and that is expected to rise to 114 TWh by 2030 — more than 3% of the bloc’s overall electricity demand — according to the International Energy Agency.
