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Carbon Emissions: Data Centres

Asked by Dr Ellie ChownsGreen PartyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 9 January 2026UIN 101285

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of electricity demand from AI-related data centres on his net zero targets.

Answered by Michael Shanks

The Government received independent advice from NESO on achieving clean power by 2030, published in November 2024. This allowed for a fourfold increase in data centre electricity demand between then and 2030, within an overall conclusion that clean power by 2030 is challenging but achievable.

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