Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of data centres on regional energy usage, in the context of increases in the use of AI.

The Government supports AI development in the UK and the economic growth it could bring. The Department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in setting up the AI Energy Council that will have senior representatives from both the energy industry and the AI industry to look at where best to locate AI data centres and to ensure the growth of AI and data centres in the UK is done in a way that supports our clean power mission and longer-term decarbonisation goals. For example, looking to seize opportunities that support grid balancing, reduce network costs, and utilise excess renewable energy.