Public policy: what the State and the regions are doing to attract data centers

An openly stated national strategy

Since the AI Action Summit of February 2025, the government has highlighted three strengths: abundant, low-carbon electricity, a robust power grid and a central geographical position in Europe. The aim is to attract investment from operators and AI players, and not to let the processing of European data go entirely to the United States.

The State's five levers

1. Identified, "ready-to-use" sites

As early as February 2025, the government announced 35 sites ready to host data centers. The State has since identified some sixty suitable sites, taking into account land, connection capacity and local acceptance. A twenty-page guide on siting data centers was published in November 2025.

2. Project of major national interest status

This is the most debated measure. Article 15 of the economic simplification law, enacted on 26 May 2026, extends to "large-scale" data centers the status of project of major national interest, created by the 2023 Green Industry law. To qualify, a project must be of particular importance for the digital transition, the ecological transition or national sovereignty. Classification is made by decree.

In practice, this status speeds up several procedures: bringing planning documents into line, grid connection, recognition of an imperative reason of overriding public interest. The stated goal is to significantly reduce procedural lead times that are often considered longer in France than in neighbouring countries.

3. Accelerated grid connection

With RTE's fast-track procedure, approved by the French Energy Regulatory Commission, five sites can host 700 MW to 1 GW within three to four years (see Access to power, the new bottleneck for data centers).

4. Access to nuclear electricity

EDF offers large consumers long-term contracts backed by nuclear generation. Data4 signed one in September 2025, for 40 MW over twelve years. EDF also makes former industrial sites available.

5. Public investment

Bpifrance is a partner in the Fouju AI campus, alongside MGX, Mistral AI and Nvidia. Regions and inter-municipal bodies, for their part, act on land, business parks and support for developers.

The obligations placed on data centers

Support comes with requirements. The French law known as DDADUE requires data centers of at least 1 MW to reuse their waste heat, with a minimum reuse rate of 20%, set to rise to 40% (see Waste heat: how data centers are becoming district heating plants). Large sites must also report their energy performance, under the European Energy Efficiency Directive.

An intensifying political debate

Classification as a project of major national interest was criticised from the parliamentary debates onwards. Some twelve associations called for article 15 to be removed and for a two-year moratorium on the largest projects, to allow time for a public debate. Their arguments: fewer consultations, the loss of farmland, pressure on water and electricity, and dependence on foreign investors.

On 6 October 2026, a draft resolution tabled in the National Assembly called for a moratorium on data centers backed by non-European players. The subject is now also a local issue, present in several of the 2026 municipal election campaigns (see Data centers and the environment: water, land and local acceptance).