The complaint was filed by the organization Lighthouse Reports and accuses the European Commission of implementing rules that prevent the public from learning how much energy and water is required for the operation of individual data centers. Public opposition to the construction of energy-intensive data centers in Europe is currently growing, as are energy prices. The Dutch non-profit Lighthouse Reports – which conducts cross-border investigations into misconduct by governments and large corporations – has stated that the Commission is creating a “wall of silence” regarding actual energy consumption. EU policymakers are allegedly intent on denying or restricting access to information and obscuring understanding of how data centers operate.The complaint will face its first test in November, when the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee decides whether to accept it. If the complaint is accepted, the Aarhus Convention body will determine whether the EU has violated its obligations under the convention. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment from Politico.As the rapid development of artificial intelligence drives up demand for energy,the EU has announced a goal to triple data center capacity in the coming yearsto keep pace with the US and China. At the same time, rising energy prices have fueled growing public opposition to data centers across Europe. To curb environmental costs and promote greener construction, the Commission unveiled a new transparency label last week. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen told Politico that unless major energy consumers align with the bloc’s overarching goals, the EU risks failing to meet its own targets.According to Commission data, European data centers consumed 20.7 terawatt-hours of electricity—equivalent to the annual consumption of the entire country of Croatia—and more than eight million cubic meters of water in 2025. This represents a 26% increase in electricity consumption and a 52% increase in water usage compared to 2024. However, these figures do not present the full picture, as the Commission does not provide comprehensive data. They were released in aggregate form after a 2024 law barred Brussels and EU national capitals from disclosing full information and key metrics regarding individual data centers. The law was adopted under pressure from tech giants, who justified the measure by citing “commercial interests.”Diego Solier, a representative of the European Parliament’s conservative wing, stated that the expansion of European data centers must go hand in hand with providing citizens and policymakers with reliable information on energy and water consumption. While he did not comment on the specific complaint, he noted that transparency is the starting point; at the same time, he emphasized the need for proportionality, noting that companies should not be forced to disclose commercially sensitive information.The complaint filed by Lighthouse Reports alleges that the EC is responsible for withholding information from the publicregarding Europe’s massive data centers—by allowing operators to keep energy consumption data private—and that this constitutes a violation of the Aarhus Convention.After failing to persuade the Commission and national governments to release the data they hold, the organization has accused the Commission of unjustifiably hiding behind confidentiality exemptions. The organization also believes that the new compliance labels (criticized by industry representatives) fail to address the issue of concealed information. These labels require operators, starting next summer, to rate their energy efficiency, water consumption, and share of green energy on a scale from A to G. “Lighthouse Reports” pointed out that the new rules still obscure total energy consumption and other metrics needed to assess the carbon footprint of data centers.
EU accused of concealing resource consumption information for data centers · BNN
