German Datacenter Association Pushes for Speed and Planning Certainty in Expanding Digital Infrastructure
As part of the consultation launched on August 21, 2025, by the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) to develop a national data center strategy, the German Datacenter Association (GDA) has submitted its positions. The GDA emphasizes the strategic importance of data centers for innovation, sovereignty, and competitiveness – and presents concrete proposals for supply security, accelerated procedures, and practical efficiency requirements.
Data Centers as a Key Component of Digital Transformation
Data centers ensure the performance of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing, making them an essential pillar of value creation, innovation, and digital sovereignty. The GDA provides practical recommendations that complement and accelerate existing public sector initiatives.
Focus on Key Action Areas
From the industry’s perspective, several priority areas can deliver immediate impact – particularly reliable grid access, standardized procedures, and workable efficiency requirements. The GDA aims to refine these points in close cooperation with the BMDS, federal states, municipalities, and grid operators.
GDA’s Key Demands
To improve efficiency and fairness in capacity allocation, the GDA proposes alternative solutions in the following areas:
- Grids & Supply: Faster expansion milestones for transmission/distribution grids, transparent capacity maps; early integration of data center clusters into grid development and state planning.
- Fair Grid Access: Prioritizing a “first-ready, first-served” approach with clear pre-qualifications and milestones; avoiding structural disadvantages for large-scale projects.
- Competitive Energy Costs: Adjusting grid fees and electricity taxes to adequately reflect the 24/7 load profile of data centers.
- Practical Implementation of Efficiency & Waste Heat Use: Unified system boundaries and a design PUE for planning; standardized interfaces and clear responsibilities instead of rigid quotas, with self-use where practical.
- Faster Permitting: A nationwide guideline, harmonized state practices, and clear, user-friendly rules for backup generators.
- Site Development: “Data center-ready” areas with secured access to power, heat, and fiber optics, plus centralized monitoring of available capacity and land.
Invitation to Policymakers
The GDA is committed to a continuous, solution-oriented dialogue with the BMDS, states, municipalities, public authorities, and grid operators – to strengthen planning certainty, ensure international competitiveness, and swiftly advance the implementation of the national data center strategy.
Downloads
Position Paper
Position Paper of the German Datacenter Association on the BMDS Consultation Process for a National Data Center Strategy
Contact
Matthias Plötzke
Head of Public Affairs
+49 173 2644 232
ploetzke(at)germandatacenters.com
