Almere City Council Rejects Zuidelijk Flevoland as Data Center Search Area

The Almere City Council has voted to temporarily exclude Zuidelijk Flevoland from being designated as a search area for large-scale data centers. A motion calling for this was passed with a significant majority during the Political Market, receiving support from 36 council members, while only six from the VVD party opposed it.

The council demands a clear strategy before considering new locations for data centers due to concerns over their substantial land use and impact on energy networks and surface water. This decision references previous discussions regarding the Meta data center in Zeewolde.

The national government previously restricted large data centers to Groningen and Noord-Holland, yet Zuidelijk Flevoland has been identified as a potential area by the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. The council insists Almere cannot be considered for data centers without an agreed regional strategy. Additionally, the Flevoland Provincial States called for the establishment of data center regulations in 2022, but a provincial strategy is still pending.