The EU could force data centres to disclose their energy and water use

European Commission news release:

Data centres are essential to Europe’s digital future. Increasing computing capacity in Europe is important for strengthening Europe’s technological independence and digital sovereignty. This is why the EU wants to triple its data centre capacity over the next five to seven years. Still, this growth brings challenges which need to be addressed. In addition to using more energy, an increase of data centres could put extra pressure on electricity grids and the use of natural resources, such as water, and contribute to increase carbon emissions. To limit these impacts, it is essential that data centres are highly energy- and water-efficient and sustainably integrated in the energy system.