Lombardy pushed a new law on May 26 that doubles construction charges for data‑centre sites in rural zones and triples them in green parks. The move follows a surge of 33 active facilities in the Milan metro and 10 under construction, making the region home to 63 % of Italy’s applications today.

The bill, approved after a tense vote that saw three Democrats abstain and three walk out, now imposes a 100 % hike in agricultural land and a 200 % increase in parks. It aims to curb opportunistic land grabs that lack clear timelines for data centres.

Industry players such as Amazon, Aruba, Eni and Stack Emea have already earmarked Lombardy for 22 billion euros of investment, half of the national 22 billion‑sized push. The law gives Terna a seat on a steering committee that will map energy availability at proposed sites for future development.

Councillor Massimo Sertori says the legislation keeps growth in check while protecting environmental integrity. By favoring derelict industrial sites, the decree removes extra fees and streamlines permits, ensuring that data‑centre projects stay within a 2 gigawatt cap on local power consumption for regional stability.