Energy and water consumption of data centers often remains secret across Europe

An international consortium of journalists, including reporters from the Dutch newspaper Trouw, has filed a complaint with the European Commission over the lack of transparency regarding the environmental impact of data centers. Despite the rapid growth of these facilities due to artificial intelligence, many operators and governments refuse to disclose essential data on energy and water consumption. In the Netherlands, companies often categorize such information as trade secrets when reporting to authorities, although Microsoft recently disclosed that its facilities in Middenmeer account for approximately one percent of the nation's total electricity consumption.

Data centers collectively consumed nearly five percent of the total Dutch electricity supply in 2024, a figure expected to triple by 2030. While the European Commission aims to introduce mandatory sustainability labels to improve transparency, current regulations allow individual data centers to keep their usage data confidential. This policy reflects successful lobbying efforts by the tech industry, which seeks to accelerate AI infrastructure development within the European Union to remain competitive with the United States and China.