Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Government plans to take steps to balance its updated emissions estimates of data centres with the decarbonisation required in the fifth carbon budget.

Growth in data centre electricity demand is inherently uncertain and, where additional electricity demand does materialise, the UK’s rapidly decarbonising power sector will help to mitigate the emissions impact.

We will continue to test a range of data centre growth trajectories to ensure we meet our carbon budgets, as we form our next carbon budget delivery plan. We will also monitor emerging demand, to inform where further mitigation or system adjustments may be required.