The central government's draft royal decree, whose public consultation period ended this September, has established sustainability requirements for these facilities and included, among other measures, criteria related to water and energy efficiency and digital sovereignty. CHA considers, however, that the regulation should go further and also specify how and where this infrastructure can be deployed.
CHA HAS AGAIN CALLED FOR A MORATORIUM
The party has again called for a moratorium on new data centers in Aragon, which it has already proposed in the regional parliament, until prior planning is in place to guarantee sustainable use of energy and water, greater transparency and a return for the region. CHA has urged the government of Jorge Azcón to establish these rules before continuing to authorize projects and has criticized the fact that their development is determined mainly by the decisions of large technology companies.
One of its main concerns has been the energy required to power these facilities. According to figures presented by CHA, if the 33 data center projects that the party says have been proposed in Aragon were to be developed, the renewable generation required would have a significant impact on the territory. It has therefore proposed drawing up a map identifying areas that already bear a high concentration of projects and establishing zones where new facilities cannot be authorized based on available resources and environmental criteria.
DISTANCES, NOISE AND DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY
CHA has also proposed introducing specific regulations for land designated for data centers, including minimum distances from urban centers, residential areas and peri-urban natural spaces. The party has additionally called for an assessment of the continuous noise generated by these facilities, their potential heat island effect and the treatment of electronic waste through recycling and materials recovery plans.
Another key area of its proposals has been digital sovereignty. Chunta has called for priority to be given to equipment and software designed or manufactured in the European Union and has requested stronger controls to prevent data transfers outside the EU. It has also called for increased human and material resources to ensure effective compliance with these requirements.
GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND RETURNS FOR ARAGON
The party has likewise called for the actual water and energy consumption of these facilities to be published transparently and for their economic effects to be analyzed. It has also proposed establishing indicators on employment, heat reuse and water consumption to assess the social benefits of the projects. CHA has linked these demands to opposition that has emerged in some parts of Aragon to projects located near homes and natural areas.
CHA has said that its position does not amount to opposition to digitalization or innovation, but rather to the model under which it believes this infrastructure has been deployed. The party has argued that data center development should be subject to territorial and environmental planning, security of electricity supply and an economic and social return for Aragon, particularly given the consumption of resources that these projects may require.
