Green PPA vs grey electricity: what really changes for a data center
Price, traceability, CSRD compliance and carbon impact compared between a renewable PPA and a classic market contract.
Carbon is no longer optional
Since CSRD took effect in 2024, any data center operating in Europe must report scope 2 emissions. A grey electricity contract (grid mix, ~250–400 gCO₂/kWh depending on country) immediately hurts the balance sheet.
Guarantees of origin vs physical PPA
- Guarantees of origin (GO) cost €1–3/MWh but the GHG Protocol challenges them for weak additionality.
- A physical PPA guarantees real additionality (the renewable project would not exist without the buyer) and is now required by major hyperscalers.
Price: the green premium myth
In 2026, a long-term solar PPA in Spain costs €52/MWh versus €78/MWh for Spanish baseload. Green is cheaper than grey, especially in surplus zones.
The 24/7 carbon-free trap
Google and Microsoft target 24/7 CFE (hour-by-hour Carbon-Free Energy). Achieving it requires a solar + wind + nuclear + storage PPA mix, calibrated against actual load curves. Voltarione models this mix across 8,760 hours/year.
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SMRs, baseload contracts, country-by-country pricing: the complete 2026 guide to nuclear PPAs for AI data centres in Europe. Nuclear vs renewables, the post-ARENH framework (CAPN/VNU), and the Microsoft, Amazon, Rolls-Royce and EDF cases.