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Natural Gas: Data Centres

Asked by Dr Ellie ChownsGreen PartyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 24590

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many data centres currently in operation are powered by gas; and what assessment her department has made of the emissions from these data centres, relative to those connected to the grid.

Answered by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Government does not hold information on the exact number of data centres that are powered by gas, however the vast majority of these assets are powered by the grid. Government is driving rapid progress to decarbonise the power sector by building unprecedented amounts of renewable generation.

Emissions associated with a data centre depend on factors including the generating technology used, its efficiency, operating patterns, and the carbon intensity of electricity supplied from the grid.

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