For the time being, the government must not sell land to Facebook for a mega data center in Zeewolde, Netherlands. A proposal to that effect has been adopted in the Senate. Last week the city council in Zeewolde gave permission for the arrival of the data center, but that is not enough to seal the deal. Part of the land is owned by the Central Government Real Estate Agency, which has defined preconditions, including conditions in regards to sustainability.
Opposition demands long term strategy
The proposal in the Senate of the Party for the Animals adds another condition. The sale should be suspended "until a new cabinet vision for spatial planning and data centers is ready". A motion to the same effect was rejected in the House of Representatives last week before the vote in Zeewolde. Recently, the call for a national strategy has been getting louder in The Hague. A number of parties believe that permission for the arrival of data centers should not be left to municipalities.
The new coalition agreement also states that the incoming cabinet intends to tighten up national management and criteria. The new coalition believes that mega data centers "make a disproportionate claim on the available sustainable energy in relation to the social and/or economic added value"
