Germany’s federal government is planning a dramatic expansion of data‑center capacity. A first draft of a new strategy says the country aims to at least double total data‑center capacity by 2030 and to quadruple the power dedicated to artificial‑intelligence workloads. The strategy is still under development.
In 2025 Germany’s data‑center IT‑connection capacity reached 2,980 MW, a figure that has doubled since 2010. The rapid growth is largely driven by high‑performance centers consuming more than five MW of power.
To make new facilities feasible, the draft proposes revising the so‑called “Windhund” principle used in network‑connection tenders. Transmission system operators would receive more flexibility to reserve capacity for data centers, and the connection of battery‑storage units is also under review.
The government also wants to reduce the impact of the carbon‑price on data centers. It will lobby the European Commission to extend the EU’s electricity‑price‑compensation scheme to include data‑center operators, in line with the coalition agreement.
Finally, the issue of waste heat is addressed through a potential tax exemption. Many operators supply waste heat for free but then must pay taxes on that transaction. The federal government will ask the EU to explore legal ways to allow the tax‑free supply of waste heat.