Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps his Department has taken to help mitigate the environmental impact of data centres in (a) Slough and (b) the South East.

The Government’s forecasts for data centre demand to 2030 are consistent with its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. The Government expects to be able to meet this demand through its plans to increase renewable power capacity, other low carbon generation and flexible and dispatchable power. The Department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in considering potential AI Growth Zone sites and the interaction with delivering our Clean Energy Superpower Mission. The two Departments are jointly running the AI Energy Council, with a meeting and working group on the topic of sustainability currently being set up.