The European Commission has proposed new rules requiring many data centres in Europe to disclose how efficiently they use energy and water, Reuters reported on September 21.
Under the proposal, data centres with capacity of at least 500 kilowatts would report efficiency information through an EU-designed labelling system. Operators would also have to disclose how water use relates to local water stress and whether facilities can support local energy systems, for example by reusing waste heat.
The proposal would not set immediate limits on energy or water consumption and would not require operators to disclose total power use. Instead, the Commission says the rating system is intended to make performance more transparent and encourage more efficient facilities.
The EU wants to roughly triple data-centre capacity over the next seven years as demand for artificial-intelligence computing grows and policymakers seek to strengthen European digital infrastructure.
The labelling system could later inform mandatory minimum efficiency standards, which the EU is developing separately.
Because the measure is a Commission proposal, it should not yet be treated as a final rule already in force across Europe.