On 21 September 2026 the European Commission adopted C(2026) 3472, a delegated regulation supplementing the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1364 to establish a common Union rating scheme for data centres. The Commission says it covers individual data centres with a capacity above 500 kW. The act is in a two-month scrutiny period before the European Parliament and the Council, and the first labels are expected in 2027.

The classes (Annex I)

  • Energy, by Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE): A ≤1.15 · B ≤1.25 · C ≤1.35 · D ≤1.5 · E ≤1.7 · F ≤1.9 · G >1.9
  • Water, by Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE): A ≤0.1 · B ≤0.2 · C ≤0.4 · D ≤0.6 · E ≤0.8 · F ≤1.0 · G >1.0

What goes on the label (Annex II)

Name, operator, location (NUTS3), size category and a QR code. Energy use broken down by renewable and nuclear sources (on-site, PPAs, guarantees of origin), cooling degree days, whether the site offers flexibility to the grid, and whether it is “waste heat reuse ready”. Each label comes with a common Commission document explaining, among other things, how PUE relates to climate and to site size and age, and the trade-off between PUE and WUE.

The first sustainability labels for individual data centres are expected to be displayed in 2027. — European Commission, 21 September 2026

Alongside the rating scheme, the Commission opened a call for evidence and consultation on minimum performance standards for data centres operating in Europe. It also cites the IEA projection that data centres will use more than 3% of EU electricity by 2030, and says the EU is looking to triple its data-centre capacity in five to seven years.

Citizen impact: Grid operators, municipalities and nearby residents get a public, comparable grade for how much power and water a large data centre uses, and whether it gives back flexibility or waste heat. Canadian provinces weighing large-load connections (Quebec, Alberta, Ontario) have no equivalent public label.

What this piece refuses

The act is not yet in force. Parliament or Council could object during scrutiny. The rating is a label, not a ban or cap. Minimum standards are only at the consultation stage. We have not used secondary claims about exact labelling deadlines, because we did not verify them in the regulation’s articles.

Bottom line

The EU will grade data centres over 500 kW from A to G on energy (PUE) and water (WUE), with grid-flexibility and waste-heat disclosure. The act is in scrutiny now, and the first labels are expected in 2027.