Greens push for answers on Hyper-scale AI data centres | #FMQs
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer urged the Scottish Government to call-in any applications for hyperscale data centres that are approved ahead of guidance being published.
This follows pledges made by Ministers during a debate led by the Scottish Greens yesterday calling for a halt on any decisions on hyperscale data centres until new guidance was in place.
In response to the Scottish Greens’ proposals the Scottish Government committed to introducing mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments and promised to publish guidance for councils by the end of this calendar year.
Ministers also stated that decisions on any of the 24 current hyperscale data centre applications ‘should’ not be made until the new guidance is in place, but stopped short of announcing a formal pause or moratorium.
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.
