Europe faces growing backlash against data centers

Protests against large data centers swept across Europe on Friday and Saturday, as residents, environmental groups, and trade unions voiced concerns over the facilities' strain on local resources, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.

In Amsterdam, riot police cleared a Microsoft data center construction site after protesters entered it on Friday, resulting in over 200 arrests, all of whom were released by Saturday afternoon, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS.

The protests, part of the 'Stop Dirty Data Centres' campaign, highlighted tensions between Europe's artificial intelligence ambitions and the demands these facilities place on local resources.

Data centers, which house servers for cloud computing and AI, have sparked opposition due to their high electricity, cooling water, and land requirements.

In Ireland, data centers consumed 23 percent of the country's metered electricity in 2025, up from 5 percent in 2015, according to the Irish Central Statistics Office.

Milos Simic, an assistant professor at Serbia's University of Novi Sad, warned that concentrated electricity demand could strain grids and pass costs to ordinary consumers.

Protesters also questioned whether investment promises translate into lasting local benefits, with Warsaw protester Jan Maksymak saying, "We call these data centers 'factories,' but in reality, hardly anyone works inside them, while they consume enormous amounts of water and electricity."

Campaigners called for a temporary halt to new large-scale developments, disclosure of electricity and water requirements, environmental assessments, and meaningful consultation before projects proceed.

The European Commission's proposed Cloud and AI Development Act aims to triple EU data center capacity within five to seven years, but the challenge is to expand capacity within local resource limits.

Background

The debate over data centers comes as Europe seeks to boost its AI capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign cloud providers.

The growth of data centers has significant implications for local communities, with concerns over resource usage, noise, and economic benefits.