Why Iron Mountain Signed the Declaration of Support for Sustainable Integration of Data Centers in the EU

Iron Mountain recently co-signed a historic Declaration of Support for sustainable data center integration in the EU, supporting the signing of the Declaration of Intent by the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA). This voluntary initiative, launched alongside the European Commission, grid operators, and Member States, establishes a unified framework to integrate data centers into the EU energy system more sustainably.

We sat down with Chris Pennington, Senior Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, to discuss what this milestone means for the industry and our communities.

Q: Why is this Declaration of Support critical for the industry right now?

Chris Pennington: The old way of thinking about data centers and energy is obsolete. As digital infrastructure booms, the energy grid can no longer be viewed as a simple plug-and-play connection.

We're at a crossroads where massive technology growth, driven by Al and cloud development, must coexist with Europe's green transition. This declaration matters because it brings data centers, grid operators, and local authorities to the same table. It shifts the narrative from data centers simply consuming power to data centers actively helping to balance, strengthen, and stabilize the local energy grid.

Q: To make this work, what needs to change in how both data centers and energy providers operate?

Pennington: We need to step out of our comfort zones. Both grid operators and industrial consumers, like us, have to be willing to try new solutions. Historically, European energy laws and regulations have been quite rigid, often pushing back on innovative ideas before they even have a chance to start.

Compared to North America or the APAC region, Europe is moving slowly in this area. If we want to solve the grid issues we face, we can't rely on outdated playbooks. This declaration is a vital step because it creates a framework, where we can test new approaches outside of traditional constraints and accelerate our path forward to meet energy demands and compute power responsibly.

Q: How does this agreement practically balance digital growth with environmental responsibility?

Pennington: This agreement moves us from reactive cooperation to proactive design. The framework establishes dedicated cross-industry working groups focused on critical bottlenecks: grid flexibility, energy generation, and storage.

By collaborating on these technical solutions, we can unlock the capacity required for next-generation technology over the next five to seven years without straining local resources. It's about proving that economic and digital progress do not have to come at the expense of the environment. They can—and must—thrive together.

Q: What role does Iron Mountain play in executing this vision?

Pennington: We're actively helping to write the policies of the future. Through our leadership positions within the EUDCA, Iron Mountain's EMEA teams and our Energy Center of Excellence (COE) will be directly involved in shaping the shared principles, joint practices, and regulatory models for our entire sector.

Being a leader in data center development means being a responsible steward of the communities where we operate. By collaborating across policy, technology, and sustainability, we are building a more resilient, future-proof business model. This initiative is another step in our team's work behind the scenes to turn cross-industry partnership into a reality.

To learn more about the framework and our commitment to sustainable infrastructure, read the full cross-industry press release here.