The Dutch Senate passed a vote on Tuesday urging the government to “use its powers” to halt the construction of Facebook owner Meta’s (FB.O) proposed massive data center in the Netherlands for the time being.
The town of Zeewolde, 50 kilometers east of Amsterdam, authorized plans in December to create the Netherlands’ largest facility of its sort, from which Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp will service customers across Europe.
The facility, which will utilize 1.38 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity and encompass 166 hectares (410 acres) of farmland, will be powered by renewable energy and will employ 400 people permanently.
Some environmentalists have spoken out against it, claiming that a multinational should not be allowed to use the country’s limited source of sustainable power.
On Tuesday, a majority of Senate parties backed a resolution that asked Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government to freeze the project until a national strategy on data centers was drafted.
The resolution requested that the government postpone construction until environmental rules and a yet-to-be-decided national policy on data centers can be set.
A request for comment from Meta was not immediately returned.
The resolution was defeated by Rutte’s own Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and another ruling coalition party, the Christian Democrats.
According to Grove, the Netherlands cannot have the ambition to be a digital leader unless it invests in the necessary infrastructure.
According to the group, roughly 60 data center operators in the Netherlands account for around 2.8 percent of national electricity usage.
According to Grove, the Netherlands cannot have the ambition to be a digital leader unless it invests in the necessary infrastructure.
According to the group, roughly 60 data center operators in the Netherlands account for around 2.8 percent of national electricity usage.
