Microsoft and Google have not publicly disclosed the energy use of their Dutch data centers, despite obligations under the new European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). National authorities, including the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), received incomplete reports or no data, leaving the government without legal means to access actual consumption figures.

The EED requires large companies to report annual energy and water usage for data centers with at least 500 kW of IT capacity. Of 160 Dutch data centers, 104 submitted information in 2024, but 27 left key fields blank. Most non-compliant facilities are US-owned, and both Google and Microsoft cite business confidentiality as the reason for withholding data.

The lack of transparency affects local decision-making. The heavily loaded North Holland electricity grid, which hosts major hyperscale data centers, faces delays in approving new connections. Grid operators project that data center consumption will rise from 5,000 GWh in 2024—about 4.5% of Dutch electricity use, or the equivalent of 2 million households—to 15% over the next five years.

Experts warn that the absence of detailed consumption data makes it difficult to plan grid expansion and high-voltage infrastructure, even as companies like Microsoft continue to expand local data center capacity. The situation illustrates growing challenges in balancing energy efficiency, grid reliability, and corporate confidentiality across Europe.

Source: Techzin