Italian council sets 200% tax on data center development in agricultural zones — aims to spur the use of old industrial areas instead and limit environmental impact
The Lombardy region in Italy has implemented a 200% tax on data center developments in agricultural zones to encourage the use of old industrial areas. This move aims to limit environmental impact and control the rapid expansion of data centers in rural areas. Officials express concerns about energy consumption and the need for a more structured approach to data center development.
- ▪Lombardy has approved a 200% tax on data centers in agricultural zones and a 100% tax in rural areas.
- ▪The law aims to discourage hyperscalers from acquiring rural land for data centers without clear plans.
- ▪Officials are concerned about the energy consumption of data centers, which have reached up to 30GW in Italy.
- ▪Milan currently has the highest concentration of data centers in Italy, with 33 active and many more in the pipeline.
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Tech Industry Artificial Intelligence Italian council sets 200% tax on data center development in agricultural zones — aims to spur the use of old industrial areas instead and limit environmental impact News By Jowi Morales published 27 May 2026 No place for data centers in rural areas When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The region of Lombardy, Italy, which has Milan as its capital, just approved a 100% tax on data center developments in rural areas and a 200% tax for those being built in agricultural…
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