From Europe to Singapore, Countries Move to Restrict Data Centres
BRUSSELS — A number of European countries and the United States are beginning to tighten rules on the construction of data centres to support artificial intelligence (AI). The moves come amid rising electricity demand, limited grid capacity and concerns about environmental impacts.
A StackPath report, titled Data-centre moratoriums and restrictions across Europe and updated on 11 October 2026, records 22 restrictions in force or under consideration across 10 European countries. The measures include temporary construction halts, location restrictions, tighter controls on electricity connections and taxes.
The Netherlands and Germany each have five restrictions, the highest number in the report’s mapping. Ireland has two, as do Belgium, Denmark and Norway. Spain, Finland, Sweden and the UK each have one.
The report notes, however, that none of the countries surveyed has imposed a comprehensive nationwide ban on data-centre construction. Most measures are intended to control where facilities are built or regulate access to limited electricity capacity.
The Netherlands is among the countries using spatial-planning rules to impose restrictions. The government limits the construction of very large, or hyperscale, data centres to designated locations.
Since January 2024, new data centres covering more than 10 hectares and requiring at least 70 megawatts (MW) of power have been permitted only at specific sites: Eemshaven and Agriport A7.
In Amsterdam, data-centre capacity growth is also capped at 670 megavolt-amperes (MVA) through 2030. New development is directed towards designated areas.
Meanwhile, Haarlemmermeer has capped new data-centre capacity at 550 MVA through 2030 across four business parks. The rules are intended to manage the industry’s expansion so that it does not outpace infrastructure capacity or disregard spatial-planning constraints.
The Netherlands is also facing a proposal for a nationwide moratorium on large-scale data-centre construction. The proposal is distinct from restrictions already in force and would not automatically halt projects that had previously received approval.
In Germany, the main issue is the mismatch between data centres’ electricity demand and available grid capacity. In Berlin, for example, 70 applications for connections for large consumers, requiring about 2,300 MVA, were received in the 2025 allocation round. Available capacity was only around 365 MVA.
This situation is forcing grid operators to decide which projects receive access first. New rules are also beginning to prioritise project readiness rather than simply the order in which applications were submitted.