Data centers are ‘choking’ Greece’s power grid: Spata residents take case to the High Court, over 500 megawatts committed in Attica

Residents of the village of Christoupoli near Spata, in eastern Attica, have taken Greece’s highest administrative court over the construction of three data centers near their homes, as eKathimerini reports.

In their complaint, residents cite 24-hour noise, heat and the lack of environmental impact studies. The case comes amid a rapid expansion of cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure across Greece.

Experts warn that this expansion is straining the regional power grid: more than 500 megawatts of capacity in Attica are already committed, fully depleting the available energy margins. According to them, without significant upgrades to high-voltage lines and substations, the grid has no reserves left.

Analysts also worry that high energy consumption could raise local electricity prices if data centers draw power from the existing market rather than from new renewable sources. Government officials, according to eKathimerini, are preparing stricter licensing criteria for these facilities.