SNP MSPs urged to follow party members and back Greens’ AI data centre pause
SNP MSPs have been urged to follow their own party members' position and back a Scottish Green vote to pause hyperscale AI data centre applications on Wednesday.
The Scottish Greens will use their parliamentary debate to force a vote on a moratorium on hyperscale AI data centres while a national strategy, updated planning guidance and proper safeguards are put in place.
In July, the SNP’s own National Council backed a motion calling on the SNP Scottish Government to introduce a temporary moratorium on hyperscale AI data centre planning applications.
The motion originated from the SNP’s Kirkcaldy and Inchkeith branch, with local SNP MSP David Torrance describing the National Council’s decision as a “very welcome and important step.”
Several other SNP MSPs have since raised serious concerns in Holyrood about the rush of applications. Wednesday’s Scottish Green debate will give them the chance to turn those concerns into action and vote for the policy their own party members have already backed.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“The SNP’s position on this should be clear. Their own National Council has backed a pause, their own MSPs have called for a pause, and communities across Scotland are demanding one as well.
“Under the Scottish Government’s watch, this issue has been allowed to rumble on while Ministers have wavered and failed to take the action communities need. The SNP Government’s response so far has not paused a single application whilst fundamental questions, like what a ‘green’ data centre is, are left unanswered.
“We cannot allow a speculative free-for-all while Scotland still has no coherent national strategy for how many of these enormous developments the country needs, where they should be allowed, or what standards they should have to meet.
“As the Scottish Government hasn’t made a decision on this issue, the Scottish Greens will. On Wednesday, every MSP will finally have the chance to vote for a pause.
“That gives SNP MSPs a simple choice: they can listen to their own members, stand with the communities they represent, and vote with us to deliver their own party’s policy to pause AI data centres in Scotland; or they can fail to act in Scotland’s interests just as Ministers have been doing till now.”