The UK government cannot explain what its largest datacentres are being used for. This is despite growing worry about the environmental cost of the AI boom.
A freedom of information request asked the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology who was using the biggest sites and why. The department said it did not hold that information. The ministry has since been dissolved.
Hundreds of datacentres are waiting for planning permission across the country. Another 315 are in line to connect to the National Grid. Campaigners say this shows a lack of transparency about projects that use large amounts of energy and water.
New Planning Rules Raise Concerns
In January, ministers announced a plan letting qualifying datacentres opt into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme. This allows developments to skip local planning committees and get approval directly from the government instead.
Campaigners say this process shields datacentres from scrutiny at the local level. Zack Polanski, leader of the Green party in England and Wales, said the government wants to override local opposition without explaining who actually benefits from these projects.
Plans have already been submitted for a third DataVita datacentre in Chapelhall, Airdrie. Reports suggest the Scottish government is considering a pause on new datacentre approvals.
Water and Energy Concerns Grow
Datacentres use large amounts of resources to run. The Guardian reported last month that two planned UK sites would produce more carbon emissions than ExxonMobil's UK operations.
The government classified datacentres as critical national infrastructure back in 2024. Campaigners worry this means datacentres could be prioritized over households during water shortages.
Water UK, the trade body for water companies in Britain and Northern Ireland, warned in July that the country does not have enough water to support planned datacentre growth. Polanski questioned what could be more critical than people having access to water.
Campaigners agree some datacentres provide useful services. But they argue projects with a large environmental footprint and local opposition are moving forward without proof they are needed.
Oliver Hayes of Global Action Plan, the group behind the freedom of information request, said datacentres could end up receiving favorable treatment for resources even when running chatbots or other low value tasks. He said some centres could support harmful uses, including nonconsensual AI image generation.
Friends of the Earth is calling for a halt on new datacentre approvals until environmental safeguards are put in place. The group wants clear rules requiring new projects to add 100% renewable energy generation.
Anisah Khan of Global Action Plan said families are facing hosepipe bans while housebuilding gets delayed due to datacentres using up grid capacity. She said the priority should not be more chatbots at any cost.
The government did not respond to questions about why it could not say what its large datacentres were being used for.
A government spokesperson said pausing new datacentre construction would send jobs and investment abroad. They added that Britain would become dependent on other countries to process sensitive health and defense data, calling a pause a risk to jobs and national security.
