Greens to force vote on halting hyperscale data centres
In light of the lack of action and clarity from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Greens will use their opposition debate on Wednesday to force a vote on halting all hyperscale data centre applications, amid a huge wave of speculative proposals across Scotland.
Councils are facing a surge of applications for massive new data centres. If just the first 24 were approved, they would consume 1.5 times as much electricity as the whole of Scotland currently uses at peak times.
The Scottish Greens have led calls for all data centre applications above 50MW to be paused until Scotland has a clear national strategy, alongside robust criteria for deciding which projects may be acceptable.
The SNP’s National Council, and some of their own MSPs, have backed the Greens’ calls to halt the spread of hyperscale data centres across Scotland, as has Edinburgh City Council.
But action from the Scottish Government has so far been minimal. Last month, Ministers introduced new rules requiring councils to notify them when a data centre application is submitted. But the changes do nothing to pause, stop or properly scrutinise the growing number of applications.
Until the Scottish Government can put in place updated planning guidance, including a definition of what constitutes a ‘green’ data centre, and requiring standard Environmental Impact Assessments, Scotland needs an urgent moratorium on new large scale data centres.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“We will be forcing the Scottish Government to make a very simple choice. Will they put a pause on the rush to build hyperscale data centres, or will they continue to allow speculative applications to keep piling up with no national strategy in place?
“The Scottish Government has had plenty of time to act and till now has chosen not to. Telling councils to notify Ministers when an application arrives is not a strategy, and it does nothing to stop these developments. Very basic questions such as what defines a ‘green’ data centre have been left unanswered for far too long.
“If Ministers believe Scotland should continue accepting hyperscale data centres on this scale, they should say so. If they recognise that we need a national plan before these projects are allowed to reshape our energy system and our communities, they should back our motion.
“This vote, using the Greens’ parliamentary time, is an opportunity for every MSP, regardless of party allegiance, to stand with communities across Scotland and demand a pause while proper national rules are put in place. The Scottish Government should stop sitting on the fence and back our call for action.”