Campaigners have called on the Scottish Government to “get a grip” on the number of planned data centres, warning that if all proposed developments are approved, they could more than double the country’s energy use. Dr Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS), said ministers should consider what would “actually serve Scotland’s needs, rather than the demands of big US tech giants”.
The environmental charity has published an interactive online map of hyperscale data centre projects currently being planned for Scotland. The map, available on the APRS website, includes links to planning documents and other information. APRS is also planning a series of events to connect people interested in learning more about the developments.
Dr Jones said: “It is vital that we get the information out to help people see the extent of the threat posed to Scotland by hyperscale AI data centres. This map gives a really accessible way of finding out where the data centres are and to get involved locally.” She added that “if all these were operating it would more than double Scotland’s energy use, which is obviously ludicrous and would be ruinous for both our energy grid and our climate targets”.
Lisa Beacham, part of a group campaigning against a 530 megawatt data centre planned on farmland in East Ayrshire, said her group had gathered 800 members “within weeks”. She encouraged others to start or join local campaigns, saying: “People feel really strongly about this in our area and it has been amazing to see the folks rally round.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland is seeking to position itself as the home of green data centres, and we have recognised these nationally important developments in our National Planning Framework 4. We want to secure commercial investment in data centres that are powered from Scotland’s rich renewable energy capacity, are energy efficient and minimise the draw on resources.” The spokesperson added that planning authorities are responsible for considering environmental implications and that it would not be appropriate for ministers to comment on live or future applications.
