Compare data center regulation

≥500 kW installed IT power; first by 15 May 2024, then yearly by 15 May; defence and civil-protection data centres exempt; trade secrets excluded.

Owners and operators of data centres with ≥500 kW installed IT power must publish, on their own website and every year by 15 May, their area, power, data traffic and KPIs on energy, temperature setpoints, waste-heat use, water use and renewables.

Existing DCs PUE ≤1.5 from 1 Jul 2027, ≤1.3 from 1 Jul 2030; new-build (from 1 Jul 2026) ≤1.2 within two years.

Typical effect of this kind of measure: Sets efficiency rules a data center must meet, e.g. a PUE ceiling or mandatory KPI reporting. Can force cooling/design changes and rule out inefficient builds.

Implement ISO 50001 or EMAS by mid-2025.

Typical effect of this kind of measure: Sets efficiency rules a data center must meet, e.g. a PUE ceiling or mandatory KPI reporting. Can force cooling/design changes and rule out inefficient builds.

Min reused-energy share for new DCs: ≥10% (from Jul 2026), ≥15% (2027), ≥20% (2028).

Typical effect of this kind of measure: Obliges the facility to reuse its waste heat or limit cooling-water use. Shapes site design and can steer siting toward heat-offtake or water-rich locations.

Annual reporting of energy, PUE, waste-heat use, renewable share.

Typical effect of this kind of measure: Sets efficiency rules a data center must meet, e.g. a PUE ceiling or mandatory KPI reporting. Can force cooling/design changes and rule out inefficient builds.

50% renewable from 1 Jan 2024; 100% from 1 Jan 2027.

Requires a share of renewable / carbon-free electricity. Affects power sourcing, PPAs and run-cost, and can gate approval of new load.

Applies to data-centre operators serving third parties; yearly per-customer energy statement from 1 Jan 2024.

Colocation/hosting operators must give each customer an annual statement of the energy consumption attributable to them.

Companies whose average final energy use over the last 3 years exceeds 2.5 GWh; excludes installations already covered by BImSchG permits with more specific rules.

A data centre using more than 2.5 GWh/yr must avoid waste heat to the state of the art and reuse it where technically and economically reasonable.

Companies >2.5 GWh average annual final energy use; annual submission by 31 March; updates when things change; security exceptions apply.

Data centres above 2.5 GWh/yr must report their waste heat to the federal platform every year and answer data requests from heat-network operators.

Refund/exemption of the CO2 levy in exchange for a legally-binding emissions-reduction/energy-efficiency target (administered via act/EnAW).

Can cut operating cost: a site that signs a binding emissions-reduction / efficiency target can have the CO₂ levy on its fossil fuels (e.g. backup or heating fuel) refunded. It is an opt-in exemption, not an efficiency ceiling such as a PUE limit.

Maximum 10 months from the completeness check, extendable once by at most 3 months in exceptional cases; EIA deadlines halved; one application covers AIA, EIA, landscape, water, emissions and planning consents. In force 21 Feb 2026; converted with amendments by L. 10 April 2026 n. 49 (text in force from 19 Apr 2026).

A data centre and its grid connection get one combined permit from the integrated-environmental-permit (AIA) authority within at most 10 months, with environmental-impact deadlines halved.

Legislative decrees within 6 months of entry into force; principles include simplified EIA/AIA, derogations from urban-planning rules, energy self-generation, waste-heat recovery via district heating and contributions to host municipalities. Senate: in committee (last update 23 Jun 2026).

If enacted, the Government would have 6 months to adopt decrees giving data centres simplified EIA/AIA procedures, derogations from local planning rules and support for on-site generation and waste-heat reuse in district heating.

>0.5 ha only in the special zone; >3 ha only where a §11c state ordinance exists (it lapses if not zoned within 5 years, extendable by up to 3); 500 m aggregation; power supply and waste-heat use must be considered. In force 9 Jun 2026 (LGBl. 38/2026).

In Lower Austria, a data centre over 0.5 ha can only be built on land zoned 'Sondergebiet-Rechenzentrum'. Zoning over 3 ha needs a prior state site ordinance, which must secure power supply and consider waste-heat use. Facilities within 500 m of each other count together.

Nominal total energy input >1 MW; exemption only via a §7 CBA showing technical or economic infeasibility. Current version in force 17 Jul 2026 (LGBl. 28/2026).

Existing Vienna data centres over 1 MW must use their waste heat or other heat recovery, unless a cost-benefit analysis shows it is not feasible. Operators can apply for a formal finding that no obligation applies.

>1 MW nominal total energy input; CBA when new or substantially modernised. In force 1 Apr 2026 (LGBl. 29/2026).

Data centres over 1 MW in Upper Austria must use their waste heat unless a cost-benefit analysis shows it is infeasible. The CBA is mandatory for new or substantially modernised data centres.

>1 MW nominal total energy input. In force 30 Dec 2025 (LGBl. 105/2025).

Data centres over 1 MW in Burgenland must use their waste heat unless a cost-benefit analysis proves it infeasible. The CBA is required when new or substantially modernised.

Nominal total energy input >1 MW; new builds and substantial modernisation. In force 31 Mar 2026.

A new or substantially modernised Tyrolean data centre over 1 MW must assess waste-heat use and district-heating/cooling connection in a cost-benefit analysis that also covers heat-capturing cooling designs.

Nominal total energy input >1 MW; new builds or substantial modernisation. Version in force from 18 Sep 2026.

Building or substantially modernising a Vorarlberg data centre over 1 MW requires an assessment of waste-heat use and district-heating/cooling connection, including heat-capturing cooling solutions.

DC siting restricted to designated areas; waste-heat utilisation concept required in approvals.

Typical effect of this kind of measure: Restricts where data centers may be built. Can bar new sites outright or confine them to designated zones, directly limiting where capacity can land.

Siting priority for disused/brownfield areas; high-efficiency cooling and reduced drinking-water use; waste-heat recovery via district heating; environmental and territorial compensation for municipalities; uniform procedures with fixed timelines. Law number, thresholds and BURL publication not verified.

Projects in Lombardy are steered to brownfield or disused land, expected to use efficient, low-drinking-water cooling and district-heat reuse, and must fund environmental and territorial compensation for host municipalities.

Non-binding guidelines: priority to disused, brownfield or regeneration areas; energy autonomy; landscape and environmental protection. DGR number not found.

Municipalities assessing a data-centre application follow regional guidance favouring disused, brownfield or regeneration sites and energy self-sufficiency; non-binding, but it shapes early site selection.