(Bloomberg) — Amsterdam reckons it has more data centers than any other major city in the world, and that’s turned out to be too much of a good thing.
The Dutch capital, which lured tech companies with attractive taxes and relatively cheap electricity, is halting the setting up of any more data centers until the end of the year, saying the speed with which they’ve opened is putting an untenable strain on its property market and power networks.
“It is necessary to take a break and formulate policy first, so that we can get a better grip on the location of data centers,” said Mariëtte Sedee, Alderman for Spatial Development, Environment and Agricultural Affairs in Haarlemmermeer, a municipality southwest of Amsterdam.
The Amsterdam region, which encompasses a radius of about 50 kilometers (31 miles) around the capital, houses about 70% of the data centers in the Netherlands. The area in and around the city is home to about a third of all data centers in Europe, including those run by Interxion Holding NV and EdgeConnex Inc to E-Shelter UK LTD and NLDC BV. Many of them opened in just the last five years.