Aragon and a broad alliance of environmental groups and residents’ associations submitted objections by the deadline of 12 September 2026 to the draft Spanish royal decree for data centres . The submissions criticise the text drawn up by the Ministry for Ecological Transition as inadequate to prevent and control environmental impacts appropriately — particularly water consumption and energy demand. Several submissions also warn that sovereignty could be undermined if operating obligations and data transparency for private operators are not clearly regulated.
The Aragón government objects to key passages in the draft as practically impossible to implement, particularly the requirements to correlate renewable generation with load, provide evidence of additional generation capacity and disclose operational data. It fears investment freezes, legal disputes and possible compensation claims for projects already planned or approved. The regional government explicitly rejects retroactive effects. Regional business groups share this position, warning of planning uncertainty and risks to existing project pipelines.
Environmental organisations such as Ecologistas en Acción, Greenpeace, SEO/BirdLife and WWF have also submitted joint objections. They are calling for stronger safeguards for scarce water resources, clear limits on additional electricity demand and binding oversight mechanisms that the state can enforce against operators. In their view, without more precise rules there is a risk of harm to local ecosystems and the security of supply for municipalities.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition defends the approach taken in the draft, which aims to secure sustainability, grid stability and economic sovereignty. It points to selection mechanisms intended to favour projects with high efficiency and grid-supportive behaviour. Data centre industry representatives, by contrast, criticise the regulatory hurdles and point to international competition between locations; reports say consideration is being given to referring the text to the Council of State for review.
It remains unclear what the final wording of the legislation will be. If the draft remains largely unchanged, affected regions and investors expect legal disputes and changes to project plans. For Aragón, the issue is not only the future establishment of large data centres, but also the balance between national regulatory powers and regional development strategies. Predictions about how the text will evolve are speculative at this stage and depend on the progress of the consultation process and any opinions from the Council of State.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).