INDUSTRIES, ENERGY | Lombardy Enacts New Regulatory Framework for Data Centre Development

On 3 June 2026, the Lombardy Region enacted Regional Law No. 11 of 3 June 2026. The legislation introduces a comprehensive regulatory framework governing the siting, construction and expansion of data centres within the regional territory.

The law identifies brownfield, degraded and contaminated areas as priority locations for the development of data centres, pursuing the objectives of reducing land consumption and enhancing the value of existing sites.

From a procedural perspective, the role of the Region is strengthened through the establishment of a Regional Data Centre Desk and a technical task force aimed at simplifying and expediting the authorization procedures. The legislation also addresses planning matters by establishing criteria for the planning classification of data center developments according to the requested grid connection capacity.

The regulatory framework is complemented by provisions requiring municipalities to identify areas potentially suitable for the development of data centres and by the establishment of a Regional Steering Committee entrusted with monitoring the sector.

Newsletter n. 121 – August/September 2026