Lombardy approves regional law to guide data‑center development

On 5 June 2026 the Lombardy Regional Council passed Law 11/2026, establishing a regulatory framework for the siting, construction and monitoring of data centres. The law takes effect on 20 June 2026 and aims to boost the region’s digital infrastructure while ensuring environmental sustainability, water protection and energy efficiency.

The legislation prioritises locating data centres in urban‑regeneration zones, brownfield or otherwise under‑used sites and encourages the use of carbon‑neutral energy sources. It also mandates heat‑recovery for district‑heating networks and prohibits reliance on potable water for cooling, favouring water‑saving technologies.

To incentivise compliance, the law provides procedural shortcuts, financial priority for regional resources, a reduction of construction fees related to waste handling by 10‑30 % and a cut of up to 50 % (potentially 75 % at municipal discretion) in required parking area. A regional data‑centre desk and a technical task‑force will oversee a unified authorisation process and require an “energy report” detailing renewable‑energy use and heat‑recovery plans. Data‑centres above 5 MW are classified as production‑use facilities.