Most data centers in Europe refuse to disclose their environmental impact, according to a study by Lighthouse Report and Trouw. In the Netherlands, fewer than a quarter of large data centers publish electricity or water usage data, despite the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) requiring reporting for centers over 500 kilowatts. Researchers spent a year seeking data under freedom of information laws but found little compliance.

The Dutch Datacenter Association (DDA) lists 186 commercial data centers meeting the threshold, but the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) only has data on 104. Public figures exist for just 44 centers’ electricity and 47’s water use. Data centers now consume 5.1 billion kilowatt-hours annually in the Netherlands—4.6% of national electricity, nearly double five years ago.

Grid operator Tenne T projects they could use 10–15% by 2030. Microsoft’s largest Dutch site alone uses 1% of national power; Google does not disclose usage. Water use is estimated at 0.1% of national consumption, but droughts make conservation critical.