The nonprofit organization Lighthouse Reports accuses the European Commission of hiding the energy and water consumption of data centers

Nonprofit organization Lighthouse Reports has filed a complaint against the European Commission, accusing it of limiting public access to information about the energy and water consumed by data centers in the European Union. The move comes amid the rapid expansion of infrastructure for artificial intelligence and rising energy prices.

According to Politico, the complaint is based on the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees the public’s right to environmental information. The organization claims that rules adopted in 2024 prevent the publication of data for individual data centers, citing the protection of trade secrets. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

Data centers in Europe consumed approximately 20.7 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, equivalent to Croatia’s annual consumption, and more than eight million cubic meters of water for cooling. Compared with 2024, energy consumption increased by 26%, while water consumption rose by 52%. Lighthouse Reports says, however, that the figures are incomplete and available only in aggregated form.

The complaint will be reviewed in November by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, which will decide whether it is admissible. Meanwhile, the Commission is preparing an A-to-G classification system for energy efficiency, water consumption and the use of clean energy, but the organization says it will not provide the public with the actual consumption of each data center.