Spanish Council of State
Spain's supreme consultative body, which advises the government on draft laws and decrees.
Spain's Consejo de Estado had yet to give its opinion on the data-centre royal decree on 8 October 2026, when the minister said he hoped to approve the text before the 29 November election.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026
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Founded in 1526 under Charles I, the Consejo de Estado is the Spanish government's supreme advisory body. The Council of State Organic Act of 1980 governs it today. It sits in the Palace of the Councils on Calle Mayor in Madrid, and Carmen Calvo has been its president since her appointment in 2024.
Its opinion is the outstanding step on Spain's data-centre decree. As of 8 October 2026 the council had not delivered it, while Óscar López, the Digital Transformation minister, aimed for approval before the general election on 29 November.
The draft under its review would require data centres to keep power usage effectiveness at 1.15 or below and Water Usage Effectiveness at 0.1, and to match 80% of their supply with renewables hour by hour. Aragon's regional government called that renewables test unmeetable in September 2026.
Reference
What is Spain's Consejo de Estado?
What role does the Consejo de Estado play in Spain's data-centre decree?
Who presides over Spain's Council of State?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.