PFG: Greens demand immediate pause on Hyperscale Data Centres, after Government failures
The Scottish Government's Programme for Government pledges to “Publish a strategic approach to attracting and securing responsible green data centre investment in Scotland, with clear expectations around environmental sustainability, resource use, community benefit and the economic and strategic value these developments should deliver.”
Scotland is currently facing a wave of speculative hyper-scale data centre planning applications. With dozens of proposals for major new sites in Scotland, the issue has become one of the top issues in Scotland.
If all are approved they will consume up to 6000 megawatts of power - more than 1.5 times Scotland’s total peak power use now. This would undo Scotland’s work on achieving net-zero while allowing a goldrush of speculative investments to take over Scotland’s planning system.
The Scottish Greens have today reached 24,000 signatures to pause hyperscale data centres in Scotland, alongside countless campaigners, groups, residents, businesses and local communities impacted by the proposals.
Scottish Greens MSP, Patrick Harvie said:
“What the Scottish Government has announced today is a far cry from what campaigners, local residents and the Greens have been calling for.
“The government has only set out plans to bring even more hyperscale data centres to Scotland rather than setting out clear regulations, ignoring the campaigners, residents, local businesses and the 24,000 signatures the Greens received on this issue.
“The Scottish Government still hasn’t defined what a ‘green’ data centre is, or how local residents, businesses and our energy grid can be protected from the current wave of hyperscale data centres, which are being proposed by a profit-hungry industry.
“If hundreds of megawatts of renewable electricity are diverted from homes to hyperscale data centres, it has the very real potential to destabilise our power grid, undoing the work we’ve achieved towards net-zero.”
Patrick added:
“While this development is particularly disappointing and far from what is needed, it is not surprising. Since the Scottish Greens left government, the SNP have continuously rolled back on their climate commitments. Allowing the data centre industry to grab Scotland’s natural resources for their own benefit would be yet another example..
“The Scottish Greens are clear: we need an immediate pause on all hyperscale data centres until we have a proper, fit-for-purpose process that protects Scotland’s climate, and puts people and planet before profit.
“That starts with defining what a ‘green’ data centre actually is, and must be done in conjunction with local residents and communities impacted by potential data centres”