Clean Power: Data Centres
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI-capable data centre growth on the Government’s clean power objectives.
Answered by Michael Shanks
The Government is committed to ensuring the electricity system can meet rising electricity demand, including from data centres, by deploying new renewable and low-carbon generation and networks in line with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Growth in data centre electricity demand is inherently uncertain, reflecting factors such as phased build out, utilisation rates, efficiency improvements, and the extent to which activity may displace or offset demand elsewhere in the economy. The Department is testing trajectories and monitoring emerging demand, to inform where further mitigation or system adjustments may be required.
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