Poland is seeing rapid growth of large data centres, but the legal framework has not kept pace with their scale. The case of Reguły (Michałowice municipality) shows why clear rules are needed for both communities and investors.
Key facts and concerns:
- 📍 No national rules defining where and under what conditions hyperscale data centres can be built
- ⚡ Planned campus in Reguły: approx. 1.5 TWh of electricity per year -- comparable to a large city
- 💧 Estimated peak daily water use: 14,500 m³, equivalent to the needs of ~120,000 people
- 🏠 No legally defined minimum distance from residential areas
- 🛢️ Storage of approx. 3,600 m³ of diesel fuel close to homes and critical infrastructure
- ⚠️ Risk of "salami slicing" -- splitting projects to avoid environmental thresholds
- 🇪🇺 EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED 2023/1791) requires reporting on PUE, WUE, renewables and waste heat -- not yet implemented in Poland
What other countries do:
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands -- bans large data centres outside designated zones
- 🇮🇪 Ireland -- moratorium on new data centres in Dublin due to grid constraints
- 🇩🇪 Germany -- mandatory energy efficiency thresholds
Conclusion:
Data centres are part of the digital economy, but they must be planned responsibly. Without clear, transparent rules, conflicts with local communities and infrastructure limits will only grow.