Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK's net emissions

5 hours ago

Datacentre developers in the UK are under pressure to disclose if their projects will increase net greenhouse gas emissions.
Concerns exist that datacentres could double national electricity demand, posing a threat to decarbonization efforts.
Campaign groups urge developers to prove their projects won't increase CO2 emissions or worsen water scarcity.
A letter signed by Foxglove and other NGOs warns of vast climate emissions from unchecked electricity use in datacentres.
MPs are investigating the environmental sustainability of datacentres, with energy demand from them remaining uncertain.
Ofgem estimates new datacentre projects could require 50GW of electricity, exceeding current peak demand.
Proposed datacentres in Lincolnshire and Northumberland will each demand 1GW, equivalent to a nuclear power station's output.
The UK's datacentre boom, driven by AI, raises concerns over power and water usage for cooling servers.
A proposed Google datacentre in Essex could emit over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, akin to 500 short-haul flights weekly.
Campaigners call for a framework to calculate environmental impact and prevent greenwashing in datacentre projects.
The UK aims for a carbon-free power system by 2030, but rising electricity costs cast doubt on this goal.
The government states datacentres drive growth and will use renewables, with planning considering water scarcity.

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