Scottish Policy on Green Datacentres Predates AI Energy Demands

A Scottish government policy that labels certain datacentres as green was written before the release of ChatGPT and does not account for the energy demands of current AI systems, according to an analysis by Action to Protect Rural Scotland. The charity said the National Planning Framework 4, adopted in 2022, concluded that any emissions from datacentres would be offset by reduced travel emissions.

It has not been updated since.

More than a dozen datacentre projects are seeking planning permission in Scotland. 2 billion in private investment. 5 times Scotland’s winter peak demand. In April, Fintan Slye, chief executive of the UK’s National Energy System Operator, told a London conference that developers should consider Scotland for its renewable energy supply.

Edinburgh project listed 200 diesel backup generators in its application, equal to 100,000 idling cars according to APRS. Last week energy firms reported more than 100 datacentre projects have requested gas connections because of delays connecting to the National Grid.

A Scottish government spokesperson stated the country’s strengths include abundant renewable energy and a skilled workforce, and that the goal is investment aligned with net-zero targets. Green MSP Ariane Burgess said the government has not provided clarity on how datacentre energy use will be accommodated by the grid.