Italy's Cologno Monzese Council Rejects 80MW Data Center Over Environmental Concerns

Cologno Monzese City Council in Italy's Lombardy region has unanimously rejected an 80MW data center proposed by developers Officine Mak and 2C Sviluppo Immobiliare Spa, citing environmental and strategic concerns that conflict with the municipality's territorial governance plan. The decision underscores growing resistance to the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure in one of Europe's most active data center markets.

The project was planned for the former Torriani industrial site on Via Guzzina, adjacent to the Brugherio municipality, and was expected to generate approximately €12 million ($13.4 million) in fees for the council. Officine Mak had submitted a request for two data center buildings along with related infrastructure and facilities on the site.

In a resolution dated September 24, the council stated that the project's "massive and ongoing water and electricity consumption, high land footprint, and structural production of complex technological waste" were incompatible with the municipality's strategic and environmental objectives. The resolution, reported by local media outlet Il Giorno, further noted that "the submitted proposal does not fully comply with the requirements of the PGT [territorial government plan]."

The council emphasized its commitment to a different development trajectory, stating that "the strategic objectives require us to lead Cologno Monzese toward the model of an eco-sustainable, circular and intelligent city, focused on the regeneration of existing buildings, energy efficiency, protection of water resources, and the structural expansion of biodiversity and urban forests."

The rejection reflects a broader pattern of pushback against data center development across Lombardy, particularly in the Milan metropolitan area, where rapid expansion driven by AI demand is expected to add 2GW of capacity over the next five years. Similar projects have encountered fierce opposition: a 240MW facility planned in Magenta faced significant backlash this summer, while plans for a 120MW data center in Travagliato were withdrawn last month.

In June, Lombardy approved Italy's first dedicated regional framework designed to regulate the explosive growth of digital infrastructure. The law aims to promote sustainability in new developments and encourage construction on brownfield sites, among other measures. The Cologno Monzese decision signals that local authorities are increasingly willing to enforce such frameworks strictly, potentially setting a precedent for how other municipalities in the region evaluate large-scale data center proposals.