THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW
Predictability and community relationships define a smart framework Asked what a well-functioning regulatory framework would look like, Alanna identifies two qualities above all others: predictability and an effective balance between national interest and local community impact. Neither is straightforward to achieve.
On predictability, Italy provides a useful illustration. The Italian government’ s stated intention to streamline data centre permitting through a single point of authority is, in principle, positive news for operators. The problem is that the detail remains unclear, leaving businesses uncertain about how the new framework will interact with applications already in progress.
“ I would love to see more predictability,” Alanna says,“ because even where we are ahead of regulatory changes and tracking them, we’ re often waiting to hear how something is going to apply to the data centre industry – because some existing or new frameworks aren’ t even put in place with the data centre industry in mind.” The UK presents a different kind of tension. The Critical National Infrastructure designation and government statements about streamlining the planning system have been broadly welcomed by the sector. But national-level prioritisation can create friction at the local level, particularly if communities feel decisions are being made over their heads. For CyrusOne, which intends to develop sites and operate them over the long term, that relationship matters.
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