Dutch province of Flevoland gives temporary data center moratorium the go-ahead

Flevoland, a province in the Netherlands, has joined the likes of Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer and Singapore with the announcement of a moratorium on the building of new data centers for an undisclosed period of time. The temporary suspension was given the go-ahead after a vote of 30-9. The duration of the moratorium is yet to be announced.

The decision comes as the Dutch province seeks to avoid data centers "jeopardising good spatial planning". During the moratorium, a series of studies will be conducted looking into "infrastructure, sustainable energy, water, spatial integration and diversification of the economic ecosystem." Moreover, going forward, the province may establish preconditions for the building of facilities. 

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, according to DCD, Noord-Holland's government has voiced concerns that the addition of new data centers could pose a threat to water supplies in the summer months. The Dutch Data Center Association has reportedly refuted this.