EU Sustainability - Datacenters

The EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive and Its Impact on Datacenters

The EU's new Energy Efficiency Directive 2024/1791 (EED), which came into effect in October 2023, sets ambitious energy consumption reduction targets for member states. Key requirements for datacenters include the disclosure of sustainability KPIs, waste heat reuse (WHR) obligations, and compliance with energy audit and management systems.

Datacenters must publicly disclose detailed technical and energy performance information, which will be aggregated and published by the European Commission. Newly planned or substantially refurbished datacenters must also perform cost-benefit analyses for waste heat reuse.

Covington has been advising clients on the EED since its inception and has compiled a comprehensive guide for companies seeking to understand the EED and its impact on datacenters. To learn more, use the download button below to access the guide, or contact our team.