EU Launches Legislative Preparations for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for Data Centers, Plans to Submit Proposal in Q2 2027

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 21, the European Commission launched a 12-week public consultation and call for evidence to begin developing minimum energy performance standards for data centers in the EU. The consultation will run until December 14, and the results collected will be used to prepare a legislative proposal planned for submission in the second quarter of 2027. This work is part of the EU's "Data Center Energy Efficiency Package" and is being advanced in parallel with a unified rating and labeling system for data centers.

The EU's existing energy efficiency regulation for data centers has already established a unified data foundation. The Energy Efficiency Directive requires data centers with power demand exceeding 500 kilowatts to report energy performance-related data, and the subsequently issued Delegated Regulation EU 2024/1364 further unified the reporting content and key performance indicators. At the end of January 2026, the European Commission launched a dedicated study on minimum performance standards, with a research period of approximately 24 months, directly serving the subsequent legislation on minimum energy performance standards.

In parallel with the legislative preparations for minimum standards, the European Commission announced a unified rating scheme for data centers on September 21. This system will generate an electronic sustainability label based on data already reported by operators, with assessment covering indicators such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, clean energy use, waste heat reuse, and electricity demand flexibility. The rating rules will first apply to data centers included in the current reporting system, and the first batch of individual data center labels is planned to be launched in 2027.

The minimum performance standards have not yet formed final binding indicators. The European Commission is currently seeking opinions on whether to establish relevant standards, the scope of coverage, and specific requirements. The subsequent legislative proposal will be developed based on the public consultation, existing data center performance data, and the results of the dedicated study. The Commission has made clear that the policy direction of the minimum performance standards includes reducing the energy consumption and environmental footprint of data centers and phasing out low-efficiency technologies.

Data published by the European Commission shows that the electricity consumption of EU data centers in 2024 was approximately 68 terawatt-hours, and is expected to rise to 114 terawatt-hours by 2030, with growth mainly driven by the expansion of AI-related computing loads. The EU has also proposed expanding data center capacity to approximately three times the current level over the next 5 to 7 years. New computing power in data centers, along with indicators such as grid carrying capacity, energy efficiency, water resource utilization, and waste heat utilization, will be incorporated into the regulatory system simultaneously.