Google data center in Kronstorf triggers protest amid new Austrian rules

Around 200‑300 residents gathered in Kronstorf, Upper Austria, to protest the construction of a Google hyperscale data centre. The citizen group "Rechenzentrum Kronstorf" criticised the lack of a binding environmental impact assessment, the planned use of 50 hectares of prime farmland, the discharge of roughly 6 million litres of 30 °C cooling water into the Enns River, and the projected electricity demand of 1.3 TWh for the first phase and 4.4 TWh for a proposed expansion – an amount comparable to the total consumption of Upper Austria.

At the same time, Lower Austria brought new data‑centre construction regulations into force on 8 June, aiming to clarify site‑selection procedures and limit the number of projects to a low double‑digit figure. Authorities highlighted the need for thorough assessment of energy use and environmental impact, with major operators such as Microsoft planning facilities in the Vienna region under the new framework.