For the first time, EU primary legislation names data centres as a sector required to report energy use, notify district heating operators of available waste heat, and assess heat-recovery feasibility for new builds. This 2026 guide walks through every Article 26 obligation under the recast Energy Efficiency Directive (EED 2023/1791) and shows how Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have each transposed those obligations into national law — including binding targets