The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ("MIIT") and five other departments have recently issued the Circular on Organizing and Implementing the Recommendation of National Green Data Centers (2020) (the "Circular").
According to the Circular, all regions shall recommend a batch of well-managed and representative data centers featuring high energy efficiency and advanced technology in major application fields of data centers, such as manufacturing, telecommunications, Internet, public institutions, energy, finance, and e-commerce, in accordance with the Evaluation Indicator System for Green Data Centers. Meanwhile, the Circular clarifies the four basic conditions that a recommended data center shall meet, such as having a clear and complete physical boundary, independent power supply and distribution, and a cooling system that meets the requirements of the Action Plan for Green and Efficient Refrigeration and has been officially operated for one or more consecutive years as of the application date. In addition, the Circular points out that the MIIT will, in concert with the relevant departments, organize experts to examine the application materials, and if necessary, conduct spot checks on site, study and determine the list of national green data centers in 2020, and release the same to the public according to procedures.