Germany Eases Data Center Waste Heat Rules to Chase AI Growth

Germany has scrapped the mandatory reuse of waste heat for new data centers: under an amended Energy Efficiency Act, operators only need to assess whether recycling heat is feasible. The government aims to double the country's data center fleet and quadruple AI compute by 2030, conflicting with the EU's 55% emissions cut target.

• Germany plans to double its data center fleet and quadruple AI compute by 2030
• A 2023 law required new data centers to recycle part of their waste heat
• The amendment replaces the obligation with an assessment of feasibility
• Stack Infrastructure canceled a $3 billion facility in Hesse; Komm.ONE exited a Baden-Württemberg project