# Spain RDL 7/2026: what it changes for data center grid access

> Real Decreto-ley 7/2026 of 20 March 2026 requires every demand access and connection permit to state the **CNAE activity code** it will serve. The connected site must keep that activity for **three years** or the permit lapses automatically, and existing permit holders had **six months** to declare their code. For data centers, the request has to be filed as a data center from the start.

By Razvan Toma, Founder & CEO, Ampervia · Last checked 2026-10-12 · https://ampervia.com/rules/spain-rdl-7-2026-data-centers/

## Key facts

- Instrument: Real Decreto-ley 7/2026, de 20 de marzo (BOE-A-2026-6544).
- Demand permits must specify the CNAE code of the activity; the permit is lost if the real activity does not match.
- The connected installation must keep the same activity for three years; otherwise the permit lapses automatically.
- Holders of permits already granted had six months from entry into force to update them; permits not updated lapse automatically.
- The decree’s preamble notes that access permits already granted to data centers exceed the most ambitious deployment estimates several times over.

## What it means in practice

- A factory’s permit cannot simply be reused for a data center: a new activity needs its own request.
- Speculative permits become costlier to hold, which should free capacity over time.
- Due diligence on any Spanish powered-land sale must check the permit’s declared code.

## Open questions

How the rule applies to long-standing access contracts and to requests tied to urban plans or industrial estates should be checked with counsel for each site.

## Questions

### Does RDL 7/2026 ban data centers?

No. It ties grid permits to real projects and their declared activity.

### Where can I see published capacity?

Ampervia aggregates the CNMC data by province at [Spain grid capacity by province](https://ampervia.com/data/spain-grid/).

## Sources

1. [BOE — Real Decreto-ley 7/2026, de 20 de marzo](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2026-6544)

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