CAMPAIGNERS have said that "positive" moves to bring AI data centre developers to heel should result in a pause on the energy-hungry projects amid fears about their environmental impact.
Ministers are being lobbied to introduce stricter regulations on the burgeoning industry as concerns grow about the massive pressure developments are projected to put on the energy supply.
Kat Jones, the director of the campaign group Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS), told The National the Scottish Government’s recent announcements “seem to signal a change in approach”.
She welcomed Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad’s announcements on Monday that planners would now need to notify ministers any new AI data centre applications and that planned developments in Fife and Edinburgh will be forced to publish environmental impact assessments.
But APRS has said that a moratorium is needed so that ministers can weigh up the cumulative impact of proposed developments.
The campaign group calculated in December that data centres in the planning pipeline at the end of last year would add between 4450MW and 4950MW to Scotland’s energy demand, while more recent analysis by the Scottish Greens said that the 24 plans on the table last month would add 6000MW to electricity demand – more than 1.5 times Scotland’s peak power use currently.
Jones said: “We felt positive about the announcements yesterday as they seem to signal a change in approach from the Scottish Government. It certainly feels like they are starting to listen to us and the other campaigners.
“We are delighted that three decisions by local authorities not to require an EIA have now been overturned, but we have written to the minister to ask that she do the same for four others which are in the same position.
“We hope that the Government are close to declaring that an EIA is required for all data centres over 50MW and have written to ask them to bring that measure in as soon as possible.”
The letter to Goodlad suggested that the Scottish Government could achieve this by using powers it already has under the Town and Country Planning Regulations.
The minister was also urged to make information about planned AI data centres more accessible to the public, with APRS warning that information was fragmented and difficult to understand.
Jones said: “It is vital that the Government is across what is coming through the pipeline, including in pre-planning and that they make it publicly available in a transparent way.
“It is very hard for local people to engage with the planning system with applications at different stages of planning coming in with different reference numbers and not connected in any way.
“We have tried to help make this more transparent with our data centre map and we have asked the minister that she extend the planning direction so it captures all data centres over 50 MW in the planning system.”
The Scottish Government ruled earlier this month that an EIA was required for the proposed 210MW data centre at the former RBS building in South Gyle, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Jones said: “The Scottish Government have, with the planning direction, the information they need to put a pause on data centre developments over 50MW while they take the time to deliver a strategic approach, guidance and to do the research that needs to be done.”
She added: “Now we are calling for the minister to go further not only in putting in place measures to ensure all hyperscale data centres have EIAs, and they collect information about all stages of the planning system, but that they use the knowledge of the applications to put a pause in on them while they do the work to create a strategic approach.
“We are not calling for these decisions to be made at Government level, we are asking for a moratorium or pause in planning, so that the impacts – individually and cumulatively – can be thoroughly and independently assessed, a strategic approach can be taken, and that these inform new national planning policy and planning guidance.”
Elsewhere in the letter, the Scottish Government was asked to order EIAs for proposed developments at Ravenscraig, Coldstream and Chapelhall.
Goodlad said: “Data centres is a rapidly emerging sector, and planning has an important role to play in considering applications, harnessing economic opportunities, and finding solutions which align with our climate goals.
“We must balance the economic and employment interests in developing data centres with national energy, climate and community wealth building ambitions, which are vital to our future prosperity, as well as the potential impact on local communities.
“It is essential to secure public benefits from this type of development, and I am clear that voices of communities that will be affected will be central to any considerations on data centres.”
