D66 wants clarification on ‘illegal’ construction of Microsoft data center

D66 is angry that Microsoft can continue to build the mega data center and its own high-voltage station, without having the necessary permits. “While the construction of 100,000 housing units is delayed by the abolition of the construction exemption”, writes MP D66 Faissal Boulakjar in Parliamentary questions to De Jonge.

In November 2022, the Council of State canceled the building exemption. Construction projects no longer automatically receive permission to temporarily emit nitrogen.

Microsoft is according to NRC been working on construction in the Wieringermeerpolder for a year now. Local farmers complain in the newspaper about the “preferential treatment” of the American software company.

House building is on hold

“While the construction of many affordable homes is halted due to complex nitrogen calculations, Microsoft’s data center construction continues without a permit,” Boulakjar said. on Twitter.

MP D66 wants to know from the Minister if Microsoft has an exceptional position to be authorized to build without a building permit and without nitrogen. The D66 member also asks what are the consequences for the granting of housing permits in the area and what are the consequences of the construction on nature.

Confusion between municipality and province

The minister must also tell Boulakjar what will happen if the permits are not issued. The D66 member also wants to know if there are any other major construction projects going on without the required permits and what the Minister will do about them.

GroenLinks MP Laura Bromet is also asking for clarification. “Ridiculous”, tweet them. “Big corporations are not above the law.” Among other things, she wants to know from De Jonge how it is possible that a confusion has apparently arisen between the municipality of Hollands Kroon and the province of North Holland over the granting of permits.

Data centers attacked

Resistance to large data centers has increased in recent years, mainly due to the enormous electricity and water consumption of high-tech complexes. Last year, it turned out that Microsoft’s existing data center in North Holland was consuming four times more water than expected. Facebook’s parent company Meta has canceled the arrival of a large data center in Zeewolde.

The firm is already working on a strict new policy for the construction of data centers. At the initiative of the Netherlands, Europe now wants to make energy consumption public.